DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE. 

BOTANICAL  DIVISION. 

BULLETIN    NO.    3. 


'   i 


GRASSES  OF  THE  SOUTH. 


A  REPORT  ON  CERTAIN  GRASSES  AND  FORAGE  PLANTS  FOR 
CULTIVATION  IN  THE  SOUTH  AND  SD 


AND  SOUTHWEST. 

,       DSguMgNTg-Dirpt | 

BY 

L.  IM       ■ 


U.S.  DEPOSITORY 


Dr.   GEO  ROE   VASEY, 

BOTANIST. 


PREPARED  UNDER  THE  DIRECTION  OF  THE  COMMISSIONER  OP  AGRICULTURE 


TVASHiyGTOX: 
GOVERNMENT   PRINTING  OFFICE. 

1887. 


20265— Xo.  3 


i 


CONTENTS 


Page. 

<Grasses 7 

PasjHilum  dilatation,  PI.  I 7 

platycaule . 8 

Panicum  maximum,  Guinea  Grass,  PI.  II 9 

sanguinale,  Crab  Grass,  PI.  Ill 11 

Texanum,  Texas  Millet,  PI.  IV 12 

Euclama  luxurians,  Teosinte 14 

Sorghum  halepense,  Johnson  Grass,  PI.  V 15 

rulgare  (var.)  Millo  Maize 18 

Phalaris  intermedia,  American  Canary  Grass,  PI.  VI 20 

S})oroiolu8  Indicus,  Smut  Grass,  PI.  VII 21 

Holcus  lanatus,Ve]vet  Grass,  PI.  VIII 22 

Arrhenatherum  avenaceiim,Tall  Oat  Grass,  PI.  IX 24 

Cynodon  dactylon,  Bermuda  Grass,  Pl.X 25 

Boa  arachnij 'era,  Texas  Blue  Grass,  PI.  XI 30 

Bromus  unioloides,  Rescue  Grass,  PI.  XII 32 

Other  Forage  Plants 34 

Erodium  cicutarium,  Alfilaria,  PI.  XIII 34 

Medicago  sativa,  Alfalfa,  PI.  XIV , 36 

denticulata,~B\\r  Clover 44 

Desmodium  tortuosum,  Beggar-tick 40 

Lespedeza  striata,  Japan  Clover,  PI.  XV. 47 

Opuntia  Englemanni,  Prickly  Pear 50 

Bichardsonia  scabra,  Mexican  Clover,  PI.  XVI 53 

Washing  of  the  soil 55 

Needs  of  different  localities 56 

Index 61 

3 


r 


Washington,  May  15,  1887. 

HOU.  NORMAN  J.  COLMAN, 

Commissioner  of  Agriculture: 

Sir  :  In  order  to  obtain  definite  information  respecting  certain  grasses 
and  forage  plants,  which  have  been  chiefly  cultivated  in  the  South  and 
Southwest,  the  Commissioner  recently  issued  a  circular  on  the  subject 
which  was  widely  distributed  in  those  sections  of  the  country.  About 
five  hundred  answers  have  been  received  to  the  circular,  inany  of  the 
replies  being  full  and  exhaustive  for  the  particular  localities  reported 
on,  and  many  others  giving  more  or  less  special  information.  These 
reports  have  been  carefully  collated  by  the  Assistant  Botanist,  and  a 
summary  of  the  result  is  herewith  presented. 

The  grazing  interests  of  the  country  are  of  the  highest  importance, 
and  information  respecting  new  grasses  which  are  adapted  to  cultiva- 
tion in  special  localities  is  very  much  desired. 

By  its  much  milder  climate,  and  the  greatly  lengthened  season  of  veg- 
etable activity,  it  would  seem  that  grazing  interests  would  be  much 
more  extended  in  the  South  than  in  the  North,  but  such  is  not  the  case. 
This  fact  is  attributable  to  several  causes,  among  which  is  the  general 
complaint  of  the  want  of  reliable  grasses  and  forage  plants  adapted  to 
the  climate.  Sufficient  importance  has  not  been  given  to  the  growing 
season  of  different  kinds  of  grasses.  Some  kinds  grow  and  thrive  best 
at  a  low  temperature,  and  others  require  the  fervid  heat  of  summer  to 
start  them  into  activity. 

No  grass  can  be  obtained  which  will  grow  vigorously  throughout  the 
entire  year.  Hence  in  the  South  the  stock  grower  must  provide  a  series 
of  pastures,  some  for  winter  and  some  for  summer  use.  The  great  want 
has  been  a  reliable  and  productive  winter  grass. 

Among  those  which  thus  far  are  found  useful  in  this  direction  are  the 
Bromus  unioloides,  Phalaris  intermedia,  Holcus  lanatus,  and  Poa  aracli- 
nifera.  Each  of  these  has  some  good  qualities,  but  all  are  liable  to  some 
objections.  Perhaps  that  which  gives  greatest  promise  is  the  Texas 
Blue  grass,  or  Poa  araclmifera.  But  this,  since  it  was  brought  to  notice. 
has  made  very  slow  advancement,  owing  mainly  to  its  poor  seeding 
quality.  If  the  seed  of  this  species  was  matured  as  abundantly  as  that 
of  the  Kentucky  blue  grass  and  could  be  furnished  at  as  low  a  price, 

5 


the  pastures  of  the  South  could  soon  be  well  stocked  with  it.  But 
earnestness  of  purpose  and  energetic  effort  will  accomplish  the  object 
in  spite  cf  the  disadvantages  existing. 

The  same  fact  exists  as  to  the  Bermuda  grass.  It  rarely  matures 
any  seed  in  this  country,  being  propagated  almost  wholly  by  division 
of  the  plants  and  stolons;  yet  it  is  the  most  widely  diffused  of  any  grass 
in  the  South,  and  is  everywhere  regarded  as  the  best  grass  for  pastures, 
furnishing  good  feed  throughout  the  summer  and  fall.  If  this  were 
supplemented  by  winter  pastures  of  Texas  blue  grass,  or  some  other 
suitable  kind,  it  would  seem  that  permanent  green  feed  for  stock  would 
be  insured  throughout  the  entire  year. 

From  the  reports  here  presented  it  would  seem  that  there  should  be 
little  difficulty,  in  the  Southern  States  and  in  Texas,  in  making  a  selec- 
tion of  grasses  that  would  give  a  constant  succession  for  pastures 
throughout  the  year.  In  Florida  the  problem  is  perhaps  not  yet  well 
solved,  but  even  there  continued  investigations  and  experiments  will 
doubtless  be  successful.  To  that  State,  and  to  the  immediate  Gulf 
coast,  must  probably  be  restricted  some  of  the  more  tropical  grasses 
and  forage  plants,  as  the  Guinea  grass  (Panicum  maximum),  Para  grass 
(Panicum  barbinode),  Beggar-tick  (Desmodium),  Mexican  clover  {Rich- 
ardsonia  scabra),  and  Teosinte  (Euchlcena  luxurians). 

As  to  annual  grasses  for  hay  and  forage,  there  is  no  lack  of  product- 
ive and  nutritious  kinds.  Under  the  most  favorable  circumstances 
which  can  be  attained  it  will  be  a  matter  of  prudence  and  good  man- 
agement to  provide  a  stock  of  forage  for  unusual  and  unexpected 
droughts  and  accideuts. 

In  those  parts  of  the  country  where  irrigation  is  practiced,  there 
seems  to  be  no  forage  plant  at  all  comparable  to  Alfalfa.  It  is  not, 
however,  generally  applicable  to  pasturage. 

The  best  and  most  productive  grasses  for  the  arid  plains  and  table- 
lands of  Texas,  Xew  Mexico,  and  Arizona  are  yet  to  be  ascertained 
through  a  series  of  well-conducted  experiments,  which  should  be  under- 
taken by  the  Government. 

The  reports  here  given  include  a  number  of  forage  plants,  which  are 
not  properly  called  grasses,  as  Alfalfa,  Japan  Clover,  Cactus,  &c. 
They  also  present  the  views  of  many  persons  as  to  the  needs  of  their 
particular  sections. 

A  number  of  the  circulars  were  distributed  at  the  Xorth  and  in  the 
West,  in  order  to  compare  results  on  such  kiuds  as  have  there  been  exper- 
imented with  ;  and,  in  order  to  make  the  history  more  complete,  some  in- 
formation is  added  from  other  sources.  The  common  cultivated  grasses, 
such  as  Timothy,  Kentucky  Blue  Grass,  Redtop,  and  Clover,  are  not 
here  included. 

Respectfully, 

GEO.  VASEY. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  Florida,  George  A.  Smathers  Libraries  with  support  from  LYRASIS  and  the  Sloan  Foundation 


http://archive.org/details/grsouthreOOdepa 


F 


Plate  I. 


Paspalum  dilatatum. 


SPECIAL  GRASSES  AND  FORAGE  PLANTS  FOR  THE 
SOUTH  AND  SOUTHWEST. 


Paspalum  (tilatatum,  PI.  I. 

This  may  be  called  Hairy-flowered  Paspalum.  It  has  been  found 
native  in  Virginia,  Tennessee,  Alabama,  Mississippi,  Louisiana,  and 
Texas,  and  has  been  introduced  iuto  other  States.  It  also  occurs  in 
South  America.  It  grows  from  2  to  5  feet  high,  with  numerous  leaves 
about  a  foot  in  length,  and  one-third  to  one-half  an  inch  in  breadth. 
It  does  not  creep  upon  the  ground  like  the  folhbwing  species,  but  is  in- 
clined to  grow  in  tufts,  which  may  attain  considerable  size.  It  is  rec- 
ommended both  for  pasture  and  hay  by  the  few  who  have  tried  it. 

This  species  has  been  called  Paspalum  ovatum,  but  the  name  above 
given,  having  been  first  applied,  is  the  proper  one. 

Charles N.  Ely,  Smith  Point,  Southeastern  Texas: 

Paspalum  dilatatum  was  brought  to  this  country  about  twelve  years  ago  and  planted 
by  S.  B-  Wallis.  It  is  a  promising  grass  for  hay  and  pasture,  growing  best  on  moist 
lands,  but  doing  well  on  upland.  It  is  easily  subdued  by  cultivation  and  is  not  in- 
clined to  encroach  on  cultivated  lands.  It  is  best  propagated  by  roots  or  sets,  the 
seed  not  being  reliable.  It  is  rather  slow  in  starting,  but  when  well  rooted  it  spreads 
and  overcomes  all  other  grasses.  Tramping  and  grazing  is  more  of  an  advantage  to 
it  than  otherwise.  I  think  that  this  grass  will  succeed  in  a  great  variety  of  soils  and 
climates,  but  those  planting  it  must  have  patience  with  it  at  first. 

Mr.  Wallis,  above  referred  to,  says : 

This  I  consider  the  most  valuable  of  all  the  grasses  with  which  I  am  acquainted ; 
it  is  perennial  and  grows  here  all  the  year  round,  furnishing  excellent  green  feed  for 
stock  at  all  seasons,  except  that  the  green  blades  freeze  in  our  very  coldest  weather ; 
perhaj>s  two  or  three  times  in  a  winter.  It  increases  rapidly  from  seeds,  and  also  re- 
produces itself  from  suckers,  which  sprout  from  the  nodes  of  the  culm  after  the  first 
crop  of  seed  has  ripened.  I  have  seen  these  suckers  remain  green  fornix  or  eight 
weeks  after  the  old  sflalks  were  as  dead  and  dry  as  hay,  and  then  when  the  old  stalk 
had  fallen  to  the  ground  take  root  and  form  new  plants.  It  grows  well  on^ll  kinds 
of  dry  land.  Plants  two  or  three  years  old  form  stools  12  to  18  inches  across.  The 
grass  has  very  strong  roots,  and  grows  in  the  longest  drought  almost  as  fast  as  when 
it  rains.  (^ 

Mr.  H.  W.  Johnson,  of  Dodge,  Walker  County,  in  Eastern  Texas, 
has  sent  specimens  of  this  grass  to  the  Department  as  a  promising  grass 
for  that  locality.  He  states  that  it  spreads  rapidly  and  is  relished  by 
all  kinds  of  stock. 

7 


8 
R.  S.  McCulloch,  Baton  Rouge,  La.: 

It  is  native  here,  hardy,  and  withstands  drought  admirably,  but  its  cultivation  is 
neglected.  It  may  be  repeatedly  cut  for  hay,  and  makes  good  pasture.  It  is  adapted 
to  any  land  south  of  Virginia. 

In  1883  Mr.  McCulloch  sent  specimens  of  this  grass  to  the  Depart- 
ment and  said: 

It  grows  here  spontaneously  in  bunches  or  tussocks,  holding  its  own  against  weeds 
and  all  other  grasses,  even  Bermuda.  We  have  just  experienced  here  in  Louisiana  a 
drought  lasting  from  July  15  to  October  15,  such  as  has  not  been  known  for  inany 
years,  and  this  grass  is  the  only  one  which  has  withstood  it  successfully.  It  grows 
very  strongly,  2  to  3  feet  high,  flowers  in  June,  and  ripens  in  September  and  October. 

Paspalum  "platxjcaule. 

This  has  sometimes  been  called  Louisiana  grass.  It  occurs  in  all  the 
Gulf  States  and  in  the  West  Indies  and  South  America.  It  grows  flat 
on  the  ground,  rooting  at  every  joint,  and  forming  at  the  South  a  thick, 
permanent,  evergreen  sod.  It  does  well  on  almost  any  upland  soil,  and 
is  said  to  stand  drought  better  than  Bermuda.  It  usually  grows  too 
short  and  close  to  the  ground  for  hay,  but  for  grazing  it  apparently  has 
many  good  properties.  It  may  be  distinguished  from  the  other  Pas 
palums  and  from  Bermuda  grass  by  its  flattened  stems  (whence  the 
name),  and  the  very  slender  seed-stems,  each  bearing  only  two  or  three 
very  narrow,  somewhat  upright,  spikes.  The  leaves,  especially  on  the 
long  runners,  are  short  and  blunt. 

The  fact  of  its  being  a  perennial,  and  seeding  freely,  of  its  doing  bet- 
ter than  many  other  grasses  on  poor  soil,  forming  a  compact  tuft  to  the 
exclusion  of  other  plants,  and  of  its  being  easily  killed  by  cultivation, 
will  doubtless  recommend  it  for  more  extended  growth. 

Dr.  Charles  Mohr,  Mobile,  Ala.: 

It  has  taken  a  firm  foothold  in  this  section.  It  is  perfectly  hardy,  prefers  damp  lo- 
calities, and  suffers  somewhat  from  long  droughts.  It  grows  best  in  a  sandy  loam, 
rather  close,  compact,  and  damp,  in  exposed  situations,  as  it  does  not  stand  shade 
well.  It  stands  browsing  and  tramping  well,  and  is  greedily  eaten  by  all  kinds  of 
stock.     Its  vegetation  begins  earlier  in  spring  than  that  of  Bermuda. 

G.  A.  Frierson,  Frierson's  Mill,  La.,  in  the  Southern  Live-Stock  Jour- 
nal, says: 

It  grows  everywhere  in  rather  low,  wet,  clay  lands,  and  stands  tramping  and  graz- 
ing as  well  or  better  than  Bermuda. 

B.  ft.  Brodnax,  Brodnax,  Morehouse  Parish,  Louisiana : 

Paspalum platycaule  was  first  noticed  here  about  1870  in  very  small  patches.  Since 
then  it  has  spread  rapidly  from  seed.  It  is  not  cultivated.  It  stands  frost  very  well 
when  firmly  rooted,  staying  green  nearly  all  winter,  and  it  stands  drought  splendidly. 
It  grows  best  on  a  poor  quality  of  land  high  above  overflow,  or  where  water  could 
stand  on  it.  It  is  a  splendid  pasture  grass,  making  a  sod  equal  to  Bermuda,  but  it  is 
not  cut  for  hay.     It  is  very  easily  destroyed,  one  plowing  being  sufficient  to  kill  it. 

William  F.  Gill,  Kerrville,  Kerr  County,  Texas  : 

I  have  recently  noticed  a  grass  making  its  appearance  that  as  near  as  I  can  iden- 
tify is  this  Paspalum   platycaule.     I  first  noticed  it  in  the  valley  at  Leon  Springs  in 


Plate  II. 


Panicum  maximum. 


Bexar  County.  These  springs  furnish  stock  with  water  during  droughts  for  an  area 
of  12  or  15  miles.  I  feel  certain  that  for  two  or  three  months  of  each  year  not  less  than 
1,000  or  1,500  stock  water  there,  hesides  which  it  is  a  favorite  nooning  place  for 
freighters.  And  yet  in  this  little  valley,  hardly  half  a  mile  wide,  and  about  1£  miles 
long,  adjacent  to  the  spring  this  grass  has  gone  on  thickening  and  growing  until  now 
the  valley  is  the  best  sodded  piece  of  laud  I  know  of,  and  undoubtedly  the  worst 
t lamped.  The  habit  of  growth  of  this  grass  is  very  like  the  Bermuda,  but  it  has 
not  quite  such  long  runners.  The  culms  and  seed  spikes  can  hardly  be  distinguished 
from  those  of  the  Bermuda.  I  have  recently  noticed  some  small  patches  in  the  Gua- 
caloupe  and  Medina  valleys,  and  it  would,  I  think,  with  attention,  prove  as  valuable 
in  this  dry  country  as  the  Bermuda  does  elsewhere. 

Charles  K  Ely,  Smith  Point,  Southeastern  Texas : 

I  regard  Paspalum  platycaule  as  the  most  valuable  grazing  grass  in  this  part  of  the 
State.  With  the  salt-marsh  grasses  of  the  low  lands  on  the  coast  it  furnishes  the  best 
pasture  in  this  part  of  Texas.  It  has  been  spreading  here  for  the  last  thirty  years, 
and  is  supposed  to  have  come  originally  from  some  part  of  Louisiana,  hence  by  some 
it  is  called  Louisiana  Grass.  It  will  stand  more  tramping  aud  grazing  than  any  other 
grass  in  this  part  of  the  State,  and  on  old  uplands  it  forms  a  solid  and  perpetual  past- 
ure. As  a  drought-resisting  grass  it  has  no  equal  here,  and  on  any  dry  sandy  or  loamy 
soil  its  limits  of  usefulness  will  only  be  determined  by  its  ability  to  stand  severe  cold. 
It  does  not  make  hay  of  commercial  value,  but  it  is  cub  by  the  farmers  and  used  as 
rough  food  during  severe  weather.  As  a  general  thing  I  think  it  is  cut  too  ripe.  If 
cut  when  first  coming  into  bloom  I  think  the  quality  of  the  hay  would  be  much  im- 
proved, aud  the  sward  sooner  recover  itself,  and  the  uew  growth  be  of  more  value  for 
pasture  than  if  left  uncut.  Like  Paspalum  dilaiatum  this  is  slow  in  starting,  but  after 
it  gains  strength  it  spreads  over  the  surface,  multiplying  by  suckers,  and  by  the  seed 
which  is  scattered  by  the  wind.  It  spreads  very  fast,  but  is  easily  destroyed  when 
the  land  is  desired  for  cultivation. 

0 

Guinea  Grass,  Panicum  maximum,  Jaq.  5  (P.  jumentorum,  Pers.), 

PL  II. 

This  is  a  native  of  Africa,  which  has  been  introduced  iuto  many  trop- 
ical countries,  and  in  the  West  Indies  is  extensively  cultivated.  It  has 
been  introduced  into  Florida  aud  other  places  along  the  Gulf  coast,  but 
is  still  little  known  in  the  United  States.  It  requires  a  long  season,  is 
very  susceptible  to  frost,  and  ripens  seed  only  in  the  warmest  part  of 
the  country.  It  has  often  been  confounded  with  Johnson  grass,  and 
many  of  the  replies  intended  for  this  evidently  referred  to  that  plant. 
The  two,  however,  are  entirely  distinct.  A  sufficient  point  of  distinc- 
tion is  the  fact  that  Johnson  grass  spreads  by  underground  stems,  while 
Guinea  grass  does  not,  but  remains  in  bunches. 

Its  chief  value  is  for  hay  or  soiling,  and  it  should  be  cut  frequently 
to  prevent  it  becoming  too  coarse  and  hard.  The  roots  are  perennial, 
if  protected  from  severe  freezing,  which  may  be  done  by  a  covering  of 
earth  if  necessary. 

The  plant  is  propagated  either  by  divisions  of  the  crown  or  by  seed. 
By  the  former  method  they  may  be  started  earlier  in  the  season,  and 
will  furnish  an  earlier  cutting. 

In  1873  the  Department  procured  from  Jamaica,  West  Indies,  a  sup- 
ply of  seeds  of  this  grass,  and  distributed  it  for  trial.     Hon.  Thomas 


10 

lleame,  United  States  consul  at  Kingston,  Jamaica,  through  whom  the 
seed  was  purchased,  said  in  regard  to  it  that  of  the  two  kinds  of  grasses 
grown  on  the  island  almost  exclusively  (Bermuda  and  Guinea)  the 
Guinea  is  cultivated  the  more  extensively.  It  grows  tall  and  rank. 
reaches  the  height  of  8  or  10  feet  when  mature,  and  yields  a  coarse 
seed,  very  much  resembling  millet.  It  grows  anywhere  on  the  island 
up  to  the  top  of  the  highest  mountains,  growing  rankest  where  the  rain- 
fall is  most  abundant.  In  St.  Mary's  Parish,  whichhas  more  rains  than 
any  other,  it  is  coarser  than  when  grown  elsewhere.  It  is  propagated 
by  "sets"  and  by  seed.     All  stock  thrive  upon  it. 

M.  C.  Codrington,  of  Florida,  formerly  of  Jamaica,  says: 

In  coming  to  Florida  I  perceivett  that  the  great  need  of  the  State  was  a  good  grass 
adapted  to  the  climate.  I  wrote  to  Jamaica  for  some  seed  of  the  hardiest  variety, 
called  there  "  St.  Mary's  Grass."  This  I  planted  in  the  spring  of  1872,  and  got  about 
twelve  plants  to  grow.  As  fast  as  the  roots  became  sufficiently  large  I  took  them  up. 
separated  them  and  replanted,  some  roots  giving  me  twenty-five  to  thirty  plants  ;  but 
I  found  that  the  planting  should  be  done  immediately  after  a  heavy  rain,  when  the 
earth  was  quite  wet.  I  continued  this  operation  until  September,  when  I  allowed 
the  plants  to  go  to  seed.  The  plants  stood  several  frosts  before  being  killed.  1 
then  cut  the  fodder,  and  found,  even  then,  that  stock  ate  it  with  avidity.  This 
spring  the  old  roots  sprouted  again,  and  all  around  them  innumerable  young  plants 
came  up  from  seed.  The  land  I  used  was  poor  worn-out  pine  land — too  poor  even  to 
grow  sweet  potatoes.  The  grass  grew  eight  feet  high  in  some  places,  and  the  second 
season  I  cut  some  of  it  three  times.  The  success  of  this  grass  I  consider  established 
beyond  a  doubt. 

J.  G.  Knapp,  Limona,  Fla. : 

This  very  valuable  grass  found  its  way  into  Tampa  many  years  ago  from  Cuba,  or 
some  other  of  the  West  India  islands.  Though  it  ripens  seed  here,  it  is  generally 
propagated  by  dividing  the  roots,  and  by  the  stolons  springing  from  the  lower  joints 
of  the  stems,  which  are  used  as  plants  As  it  sends  forth  no  creeping  root-stocks  it 
does  not  form  a  tuft,  but  grows  in  clumps  or  bunches,  leaving  bare  spots.  When 
planted  in  hills  three  feet  apart  each  way  the  blades  will  meet  and  shade  the  entire 
ground.  It  can  be  cut  each  month,  from  April  to  November,  yielding  a  ton  of  hay  at 
each  cutting.  It  should  be  cut  as  close  to  the  ground  as  possible  to  prevent  it  form- 
ing high  tussocks,  and  for  the  same  reason  should  not  be  pastured.  A  degree  of  cold 
that  will  make  an  inch  of  ice  will  greatly  damage,  if  not  kill  it,  but  such  a  freeze  is 
very  unusual  in  this  country.  Few  plants  yield  a  larger  amount  of  fodder,  and  for 
this  county  it  may  be  considered  among  the  most  valuable  that  we  have.  The  roots 
when  placed  on  the  surface  readily  decay.  With  proper  fertilization  a  plantation 
will  remain  productive  for  many  years. 

Jas.  G.  Neal,  Archer,  Fla. : 

A  valuable  addition  to  the  "cut  forage  plauts"  for  this  locality.  It  rapidly  forms 
great  tufts  of  hard  stems,  however,  and  requires  much  fertilizing  and  constant  cut- 
ting to  keep  in  good  shape.  It  is  greedily  eaten  by  stock,  and  makes  fine  djy  forage. 
The  first  frost  kills  it  to  the  ground,  and  this  habit  makes  it  of  no  value  as  a  winter 
grass.     It  ripens  seeds  here. 

Dr.  Gharles  Mohr,  Mobile,  Ala : 

The  cultivation  of  this  grass  was  successfully  tried  a  few  years  ago  at  the  truck  farm 
of  the  Ziminer  Brothers  in  this  vicinity.  The  severe  winters  of  the  last  two  years, 
however,  killed  the  volunteer  seedlings,  which  spring  up  during  the  fall,  and  which 
are  depended  upon  for  new  plantings  the  following  spring.  This  and  the  ravages  of 
the  army  worm  have  caused  its  cultivation  to  be  abandoned. 


Plate  III. 


Panicum  saxguixale. 


11 

111  a  previous  letter  to  the  Department,  be  says : 

It  is  planted  with  us  in  the  begiuning  of  April,  and  admits  of  the  first  cutting  the 
last  week  of  May.  It  makes  very  large  bunches,  and  should  be  cut  before  exceeding 
the  height  of  18  inches.  In  that  stage  it  is  very  sweet,  tender,  and  easily  oared  as 
hay.  In  moderately  fertilized  land  and  favorable  seasons  it  may  be  cut  every  five  or 
six  weeks,  yielding,  by  throwing  out  numerous  stolons,  increased  crops  until  killed 
down  by  frost.  The  roots  are  easily  protected  during  winter  by  a  good  covering  of 
earth,  like  therattoons  of  sugar-canes,  and  allowing  of  a  manifold  division,  they  afford 
the  best  means  of  propagation.  These  root-cuttings  are  set  out  in  March  or  the  begin- 
ning of  April. 

Crab  Grass,  Pcmicum  sanguinale,  PI.  III. 

This  grass  was  not  mentioned  in  the  circular  of  inquiry,  but  so  many 
have  referred  to  it  in  the  reports  that  is  here  inserted.  It  is  an  annual 
grass,  a  native  of  the  Old  World,  which  has  become  spread  over  most 
parts  of  this  country,  and  is  the  one  commonly  called  Crab-grass  in  the 
Southern  States.  It  occurs  in  cultivated  and  waste  grounds,  and  grows 
very  rapidly  during  the  hot  summer  months.  The  stems  usually  rise 
to  the  height  of  2  or  3  feet  and  bear  at  the  summit  three  to  six  flower 
spikes,  each  4  to  6  inches  long.  The  stems  are  bent  at  the  lower  joints, 
where  they  frequently  take  root. 

Professor  Kellebrew,  of  Tennessee,  says : 

It  is  a  line  pasture  grass,  but  it  has  few  leaves  at  the  base  and  forms  no  sward,  yet 
it  sends  out  from  its  base  numerous  stems  or  branches.  It  fills  all  our  corn-fields, 
and  many  persons  pull  it  out  for  feed,  which  is  a  tedious  process.  It  makes  sweer 
hay,  and  horses  are  exceedingly  fond  of  it,  leaving  the  best  of  other  hay  to  eat  it. 

Professor  Shares,  of  Mississippi,  says : 

For  a  number  of  years  I  pursued  the  following  plan  with  much  satisfaction.  A 
piece  of  land  that  had  matured  plenty  of  Crab-grass  seed  was  prepared,  and  in  the 
fall  sowed  with  Bur  Clover  for  winter  and  spring  pasture.  As  usual,  the  clover  ma- 
tured seed  and  died  in  May.  Immediately  the  Crab-grass  came  up  very  thick.  This 
was  mowed  in  July  and  again  in  August  and  October.  The  process  was  repeated  for 
a  number  of  years  without  rcseeding  or  any  other  work  than  mowing  the  grass.  The 
Bur  Clover  was  never  mowed,  but  grazed  from  December  until  April,  after  which  it 
was  allowed  to  cover  the  ground  and  mature  seed.  The  x>rocess  was  continued,  with- 
out diminution  of  yield,  until  the  land  was  wanted  for  another  purpose. 

E.  W.  Jones,  Buena  Vista,  Miss. : 

Crab-grass  is  one  of  our  best  hay  and  pasture  grasses.  It  will  make  two  tons  of 
first  quality  of  hay  per  acre.  All  that  is  necessary  is  to  plow  and  harrow  the  ground 
in  April,  May,  or  June,  and  you  will  be  sure  of  a  crop.  It  grows  well  on  ordinary 
lands,  but  on  sandy  lands  best. 

W.  S.  Harrison,  Stark ville,  Miss. : 

It  will  not  make  permanent  pastures  or  meadows,  but  requires  the  plow,  and  is 
almost  inseparable  from  cultivation.  After  an  oat  crop  it  gives  a  good  yield  of  hay, 
and  after  other  crops  are  gathered  it  makes  fine  pasture. 

James  B.  Seger,  Handsborough,  Miss. : 

Our  natural  " hay-grass"  is  Crab-grass,  which  comes  on  after  spring  gardens  are 
marketed.  A  field  set  in  Crab-grass  and  cultivated  in  any  manner  during  the  spring 
will  never  fail  to  grow  a  good  hay  crop  without  any  seeding  or  other  cultivation. 
One  ton  to  the  acre  on  our  average  coast  lands  is  about  the  yield.     We  plant  pota- 


12 

toes  here  in  February,  and  in  March  corn  is  planted  among  the  potatoes.  When  the 
corn  is  half  grown  the  potatoes  are  dug,  then  the  Crab-grass  grows  up,  and  after  the 
corn  is  taken  off  the  grass  is  cut. 

O.  F.  Mattox,  of  Hoinerville,  Ga. : 

Our  native  Crab-grass,  Crow-foot,  and  Field  Pea  supply  our  every  want  as  forage 
plants. 

C.  Menelas,  Savannah,  Ga.: 

Panicum  sanguinale,  or  Crab-grass,  is  known  all  over  the  cotton  belt,  but  is  little 
appreciated,  owing  to  its  injury  to  growing  crops,  though  it  is  often  more  valuable 
han  the  crops  themselves.  It  is  very  nutritious,  and  yields  heavily.  What  is  saved 
as  hay  is  from  the  corn  and  cotton  fields,  and  it  is  not  always  secured  in  the  proper 
condition.  Few  yet  cultivate  it  as  a  crop.  I  have  tried  its  cultivation  by  way  ot 
simply  plowing  and  harrowing  a  few  acres  on  our  creek  bottoms,  and  doing  no  more 
work  until  the  time  to  mow  it.  In  that  way  we  not  only  secure  a  better  quality  of 
hay,  but  the  yield  is  at  the  rate  of  fully  one  and  a  half  tons  per  acre. 

Texas  Millet,  Panicum  Texanum,  PI.  IV. 

This  grass  is  a  native  of  Texas,  and  was  first  described  and  named 
in  1866  by  Prof.  S.  B.  Buckley,  in  his  Preliminary  Beport  of  the  Geo- 
graphical and  Agricultural  Survey  of  Texas.  It  is  frequently  called 
Colorado  Grass,  from  its  abundance  along  the  Colorado  River  in  that 
State.  In  some  localities  it  is  known  as  Biver  Grass ;  in  others  as  Goose 
Grass,  from  its  being  supposed  to  have  been  introduced  by  wikl  geese. 
In  Southern  Texas  it  is  sometimes  called  Buffalo  Grass,  and  in  Fayette 
County  it  is  known  as  Austin  Grass,  from  the  fact  that  it  was  first  util- 
ized as  hay  near  Austin. 

The  most  numerous  aud  favorable  reports  regarding  it  are  from  Lam- 
pasas, Burnet,  and  Travis  Counties,  along  the  Colorado  River,  and 
southward  through  the  central  part  of  the  State.  From  no  grass  so 
little  known  have  more  favorable  reports  been  received,  especially  from 
the  section  where  it  is  most  abundant.  It  is  but  little  known  outside 
of  Texas.  Of  the  thirty-five  valuable  reports  in  regard  to  it,  all  but 
six  were  from  that  State,  and  most  of  them  from  the  region  above  indi- 
cated. 

The  grass  is  an  annual,  growing  usually  from  2  to  4  feet  high,  and  is 
especially  valuable  for  hay.  It  prefers  rich  alluvial  soils,  but  stands 
drought  well,  though  on  dry  uplands  its  yield  is  much  reduced.  The 
plant  is  furnished  with  an  abundance  of  rather  short  and  broad  leaves, 
and  the  stems,  which  are  rather  weak,  are  often  produced  in  consider- 
able number  from  a  single  root,  and  where  the  growth  is  rank  are  in- 
clined to  be  decumbent  at  the  base.  It  is  valuable  for  all  purposes  for 
which  the  ordinary  millets  are  used,  and  should  be  tried  throughout  the 
South.  In  Texas,  where  most  largely  grown,  it  generally  overcomes 
other  grasses  and  weeds,  but  in  some  of  the  other  Southern  States 
Crab-grass  and  weeds  have  interfered  with  its  growth. 

Fleming  Moore,  West  Point,  Fayette  County,  Central  Texas: 

I  learn  from  the  Farm  and  Fireside  that  your  Department  desires  information  re- 
garding "  Southern  grasses."    I  will  confine  my  remarks  solely  to  the  Colorado  Grass, 


Plate  IV 


^T*,  \<\ . 


Paxicum  Texanum. 


13 

or  Texas  Millet,  locally  known  as  Austin  Grass  -this  name  being  given  from  the  fact 
that  it  was  first  utilized  as  hay  near  the  capital  of  Texas. 

It  was  first  discovered  in  DeWitt  County,  on  the  Guadaloupe  River,  the  seed  being 
Bupposed  to  have  been  deposited  there  by  wild  geese.  Its  cultivation  in  some  sections 
is  a  profitable  industry,  which  is  assuming  large  proportions.  It  is  rapid  in  its 
growth,  and  stands  a  moderate  drought  well.  It  will  stand  almost  dead  for  four 
months,  and  then,  when  rain  comes  on,  be  brought  to  perfection.  It  prefers  light 
soils,  but  will  grow  in  any  part  of  the  South  except  on  black  waxy  land.  On  rick 
Bandy  soil  it  will  yield  3  tons  per  acre,  and  in  favorable  seasons  may  be  cut  three 
times.  It  is  only  valuable  for  hay,  and  entirely  unfit  for  pasture.  It  is  easily  sub- 
dued by  cultivation.  After  the  ground  has  become  well  seeded,  by  oue  crop  being 
allowed  to  remain  on  the  land  uncut,  it  can  be  grown  on  the  same  land  year  after 
year  indefinitely. 

As  a  hay  plaut  I  believe  this  to  have  no  superior.  It  is  especially  excellent  for 
horses,  mules,  and  milch  cows.  In  summer,  however,  cows  will  not  eat  it  unless 
forced  to;  but  in  winter  they  relish  it,  and  it  proves  excellent  for  making  milk  and 
butter.  In  Travis  County  large  farms  have  been  devoted  to  this  grass  alone,  the  most 
of  the  hay  being  consumed  in  the  local  markets,  where  it  sells  readily  at  $18  to  $20 
per  ton. 

To  obtain  a  crop  it  is  only  necessary  to  remove  the  stalks  from  a  corn-field.  The 
grass  will  come  of  itself  and  give  a  good  yield  of  hay.  Some  put  in  a  crop  of  oats, 
and  after  these  are  taken  off  break  up  the  ground,  after  which,  upon  the  first  rain, 
the  grass  comes  up.  Some  set  aside  plats  of  unbroken  ground,  and  when  the  weeds 
come  up  in  April,  break  and  harrow;  this  kills  the  weeds,  and  the  grass  then  comes 
up  so  thick  that  it  gets  ahead  of  the  weeds  and  chokes  them  out.  After  cutting  the 
grass  the  land  is  broken  again,  when,  if  there  is  any  rain,  a  second  crop  is  obtained 
with  absolute  certainty.  It  yields  seeds  enormously,  but  the  seeds  ripen  at  different 
times,  those  at  the  top  first.  The  grass  is  cut  and  cured  like  any  other  hay,  but  must 
be  left  in  the  sun  unbaked  at  least  two  days.  Care  must  be  taken  to  cut  it  at  the 
proper  time;  if  too  late  the  seed  will  drop  off;  if  too  soon  you  will  still  have  good 
hay,  but  the  seed  will  be  chaff.  Examine  the  seed  at  the  top  of  the  head  ;  if  it  con- 
tains milk,  cut  it ;  but  if  it  contains  green  juice,  wait  a  few  days,  but  not  until  the 
dough  state  is  reached. 

It  might  be  inferred,  from  the  grass  being  naturally  in  our  fields,  that  it  would  be 
a  pest,  but  such  is  not  the  case.  It  roots  near  the  surface,  indeed  so  shallow  that  in 
raking  care  must  be  taken  not  to  pull  up  the  stubble.  A  late  rain  in  August  brings 
it  up  in  the  cotton  fields,  and  it  frequently  gets  higher  than  the  cotton,  before  that  is 
picked,  but  beyond  damaging  the  sample  a  little  it  does  no  injury.  Inclosed  I  send 
you  a  sample  of  this  grass  which  is  cured  as  it  should  be;  some  of  the  seeds  are  chaffy, 
but  most  of  them  will  germinate.  I  repeat,  it  is  my  favorite  of  all  grasses  for  mak- 
ing hay. 

A  correspondent  of  Lampasas  County,  Texas,  writing  to  the  Depart- 
ment in  1883,  says: 

It  is  undoubtedly  the  finest  forage  plant  in  existence.  For  horses,  cattle,  and  sheep 
it  is  excellent.  They  prefer  it  to  any  other  kind  of  hay,  or  even  to  sheaf  oats.  It  is 
raised  in  this  section  by  plowing  the  land  after  a  crop  of  small  grain  has  been  har- 
vested.    It  is  a  sure  crop,  and  produces  two  or  three  tons  per  acre. 

H.  L.  Raven,  Secretary  Morrelltown  Grange,  Morrelltown,  Travis 
County,  Texas: 

Said  to  have  originated  in  this  county  on  the  river  bottom  below  Austin.  It  comes 
voluntarily,  and  after  the  corn  is  cut  from  the  field  is  mown  and  made  into  hay. 
Some  plant  no  crop,  but  plow  and  harrow  the  land  and  get  two  cuttings.  It  is  not  a 
good  pasture  plant,  as  it  comes  late  and  the  first  frost  kills  it. 


14 
M.  M.  Martin,  Comanche,  Tex. : 

Colorado  Grass  has  been  introduced  here  on  a  small  scale  from  the  Colorado  River. 
It  will  make  both  a  spring  and  fall  crop,  if  it  is  seasonable.  Like  Crab  grass,  when 
land  is  once  set  with  it,  it  is  there  to  stay,  but  other  crops  can  be  successfully  grown 
on  the  same  land.  I  believe  it  would  make  a  good  fertilizer  if  it  was  chained  down 
and  turned  under.  It  will  grow  wherever  Crab  grass  will  grow,  and  it  outsuckers 
anything  I  ever  saw,  and  every  sucker  has  a  head.  I  have  been  watching  grasses  for 
several  years,  and  I  like  it  the  best  of  any  that  I  have  seen  yet. 

S.  B.  Wallis,  Wallisville,  Southeastern  Texas: 

Panicum  Texan  um  is  grown  here  from  seed  brought  from  Western  Texas,  and  does 
splendidly  on  cultivated  ground,  standing  drought  remarkably  well,  and  making  a 
heavy  crop  of  first-rate  hay,  besides  the  seed,  which  are  very  valuable  for  poultry  feed. 
It  is  considered  the  most  valuable  summer  grass  to  grow  on  cultivated  ground. 

Specimens  of  this  grass  fully  10  feet  in  length  have  been  received  at  the  Depart- 
ment from  Mr.  Wallis. 

Prof.  J.  M.  McBryde,  Columbia,  S.  C: 

A  most  promising  grass,  which  flourished  here  the  past  season  when  Timothy,  Or- 
chard Grass,  and  Kentucky  Blue  grass  alongside  of  it,  were  destroyed  by  drought. 

F.  M.  Pierce,  Farinington,  K  Mex.  : 

It  does  well  on  all  dry  lands  along  streams  above  the  first  bottoms. 

Teosinte,  Euchlcena  luxurians. 

Seeds  of  this  semi-tropical  forage  plant  were  distributed  by  the  De- 
partment in  the  spring  of  1886  and  again  in  1887.  The  plant  consider- 
ably resembles  Indian  corn,  but  is  more  slender,  suckers  far  more,  and 
produces  its  seeds  a  few  together  in  small  tufts  of  husks  instead  of  in 
ears.  Each  seed  is  inclosed  by  the  peculiar  hardened  outer  glumes, 
which  would  probably  make  it  more  difficult  to  digest  than  corn.  The 
plant  has  not  yet  been  extensively  tried,  owing  to  the  difficulty  of  ob- 
taining seed,  which  has  had  to  be  imported,  making  it  expensive  and 
liable  to  be  of  poor  quality,  Experience  has  shown,  however,  that  it 
will  ripen  in  Southern  Florida,  and  in  a  few  other  favorable  locations  in 
the  United  States.  Professor  Phares  of  Mississippi  believes,  from  in- 
stances that  have  come  under  his  notice,  that  the  seed  may  be  success- 
fully grown  in  some  locations  in  the  southern  portion  of  that  State,  and 
over  a  considerable  part  of  Southeastern  Louisiana,  and  that  in  all  parts 
of  the  Gulf  States,  even  where  it  does  not  mature,  it  is  destined  to  be- 
come a  most  valuable  forage  plant.  It  is  probable  that  by  selection  and 
continued  trial  it  may  be  made  to  ripen  where  it  now  does  not. 

J.  C.  Neal,  Archer,  Northern  Florida: 

Often  tried,  and  with  much  fertilizer  makes  a  tremendous  growth,  giving  a  large 
amount  of  good  forage,  easily  dried  and  available.  The  seeds  1  received  from  the  De- 
partment of  Agriculture  last  year  were  deficient  in  vitality  and  but  few  grew,  but 
they  showed  that  with  good  seed  and  care  the  Teosinte  would  be  a  valuable  forage 
plant.     It  will  not  ripen  seed.     I  have  tried  to  ripen  it  for  ten  years  and  failed. 

J.  G.  Knapp,  Limona,  Southern  Florida : 

Great  difficulty  has  been  exprienced  in  obtaining  live  seed  of  this  most  valuable  fod- 
der plant,  seed  obtained  from  seedsmen,  having  been  imported  from  Honduras,  be- 


Plate  V. 


SORGHUM    HALEPENSE. 


15 

ing  too  old  to  germinate.  But  during  the  past  season  a  neighbor  of  mine  has  suc- 
ceeded in  obtaining  a  few  seeds  which  grew,  and  his  plants  have  matured  their  seeds, 
all  6f  which  will  be  planted  the  present  year.  Seed  has  also  been  matured  at  Fort 
Meade,  in  Polk  County.  Thus  the  question  can  be  considered  as  settled,  so  far  as  this 
locality  is  concerned,  that  Teosinte  will  mature  its  seed,  and  the  country  is  placed  in 
possession  of  the  best  soiling  and  fodder  plant  known  to  the  agriculturists  of  the 
wOrld.  It  endures  heat,  drought,  and  rains  as  well  as  sorghum  and  better  than  corn, 
and  may  be  cured  for  hay. 

Dr.  Charles  Mohr,  Mobile,  Ala. : 

This  tropical  grass  does  not  ripen  its  seeds  in  this  latitude  ;  it  scarcely  unfolds  its 
blossoms  before  the  advent  of  the  first  frost.  It  is  very  tender,  being  easily  affected 
by  frost  or  drought.  During  a  cold  spring  it  is  difficult  to  secure  a  good  stand,  and 
it  is  only  after  warm  weather  has  fairly  set  in  that  it  begins  to  make  a  rapid  growth, 
affording  three  cuttings  and  over  of  rich  fodder  on  well-manured  ground  in  a  season 
of  genial  showers.  It  is  too  succulent  to  be  easily  cured  for  hay.  On  that  account, 
and  from  the  difficulty  in  securing  a  good  stand,  and  from  the  necessity  of  procuring 
each  season  a  supply  of  seed  from  abroad,  this  grass  has  not  found  the  favor  with  the 
cultivators  of  this  section  with  which  it  is  held  in  the  subtropical  zone. 

J.  S.  Newman,  Director  Experiment  Station,  Auburn,  Ala. : 

Teosinte  was  cultivated  on  our  experiment  grounds  last  season  with  very  satisfac- 
tory results.  It  tillers  like  Cat-tail  Millet,  but  makes  a  much  more  luxuriant  growth. 
It  responds  promptly  and  vigorously  under  the  knife,  and  may  be  repeatedly  cut  dur- 
ing spring  and  summer.  It  does  not,  however,  withstand  drought  as  well  as  Millo 
Maize  or  Kaffir  Corn,  and  it  died  out  completely  during  our  seventy-five  days  of 
drought  last  fall.  I  have  a  few  seeds  which  were  matured  on  the  grounds  of  Mr* 
George  W.  Benson  in  the  open  air  at  Marietta,  Ga.  He  ripened  seed  two  years  ago  on 
a  few  plants  which  were  forced  in  early  spring  and  transplanted  to  the  open  ground. 
Last  year  this  seed  was  plauJed  in  the  open  ground,  and  produced  plants  which  ma. 
tured  the  seed  which  I  have.  He  seems  thus  to  have  succeeded  in  acclimating  the 
plant,  which  is  therefore  likely  to  prove  a  valuable  acquisition. 

Edward  0.  Reed,  Meridian,  Miss.: 

Fine  for  green  soiling.  Could  the  seed  be  ripened  in  Florida  it  would  pay  farmers 
to  cultivate  it  until  it  became  acclimated,  as  did  the  Millo  Maize.  This  result  is  cer- 
tainly worthy  of  the  united  effort  of  the  Department  and  the  people  of  the  South. 

Ed.  McD.  Anderson,  Dennis  Mills,  St.  Helena  Parish,  East  Louisiana: 

My  experience  with  Teosinte  is  limited  to  last  year,  1886.  About  May  1  my  father 
received  from  the  Department  of  Agriculture  a  few  packages  of  this  seed,  which  he 
distributed,  keeping  two  for  himself,  which  were  planted  the  second  week  in  May. 
The  seed  germinated  well.  Two  seeds  were  put  in  a  hill.  The  plant  suckers  more 
than  any  variety  of  sorghum  that  I  am  acquainted  with.  Four  hills  were  cut  down 
three  times  during  the  summer  when  over  waist  high.  Horses  and  cattle  appear 
very  fond  of  it.  It  stood  our  severe  drought  during  August,  September,  and  Oc- 
tober remarkably  well.  The  first  tassel  was  seen  November  1,  and  on  the  night  of 
the  17th  we  had  a  heavy  frost.  The  Teosinte  was  then  silking  and  the  seeds  forming. 
I  am  confident  that  it  would  have  matured  seed  had  it  been  planted  about  March  1. 
I  consider  it  a  forage  plant  superior  to  sorghum  or  Millo  Maize. 

Johnson  Grass,  Sorghum  lialepense,  PI.  V. 

• 

This  grass,  which  was  introduced  into  cultivation  in  this  country  more 
than  fifty  years  ago,  has  within  the  last  few  years  attracted  renewed 
attention.  It  is  a  native  of  the  warm  temperate  regions  of  the  Old  World, 
and  has  long  been  cultivated  as  a  forage  plant  in  the  countries  bordering 


16 

on  the  Mediterranean.  The  name  Johnson  Grass,  which  is  the  one  now- 
most  generally  adopted  in  this  country,  originated  from  William  John- 
son, of  Alabama,  who  introduced  the  grass  into  that  State  from  South 
Carolina  about  1840.  It  had  previously  been  known  as  Meaus  Grass? 
and  that  name  is  still  occasionally  used.  It  has  also  been  largely  grown 
under  the  name  of  Guinea  Grass,  but  that  name  should  be  restricted  to 
Panicum  maximum,  described  in  another  part  of  this  bulletin.  It  has 
also  been  called  Egyptian  Grass,  Green  Valley  Grass,  Cuba  Grass,  Ala- 
bama Guinea  Grass,  Australian  Millet,  and  Morocco  Millet.  In  California 
it  is  best  known  as  Evergreen  Millet  or  Arabian  Evergreen  Millet. 
There  seems  to  be  good  evidence  that  some  of  these  names  have  been 
used  at  times  in  order  to  sell  the  seed  at  an  unreasonably  high  price. 
Johnson  Grass  seeds  abundantly,  and  the  seed  maybe  obtained  of  nearly 
all  seedsmen  under  that  name. 

This  grass  is  best  adapted  to  warm  climates,  and  has  proved  most 
valuable  on  warm  dry  soils  in  the  Southern  States.  It  has  been  tested 
quite  generally  throughout  the  country,  and  is  often  recommended  for 
cultivation  even  in  the  [North,  but  in  the  Northern  States  its  growth  is 
much  smaller  than  at  the  South,  and  in  severe  winters  it  is  killed  en- 
tirely. It  is  occasionally  more  or  less  winter-killed  as  far  south  as  the 
northern  portion  of  Texas  and  Alabama.  Its  chief  value  is  for  hay,  in 
regions  where  other  grasses  fail  on  account  of  drought.  If  cut  early  the 
hay  is  of  good  quality,  and  several  cuttings  may  be  made  in  the  season  . 
but  if  the  cutting  is  delayed  until  the  stalks  are  well  grown,  the  hay  is 
so  coarse  and  hard  that  stock  do  not  eat  it  readily.  The  seed  may 
be  sown  at  any  time  that  the  soil  is  warm  and  not  too  dry.  Failures 
often  occur  from  sowing  the  seed  too  early.  If  there  is  danger  that  the 
soil  should  dry  out  before  the  seed  can  germinate,  soaking  the  seed 
may  be  resorted  to  with  good  results.  Thick  seeding  gives  a  heavier 
yield  and  a  better  quality  of  hay.  From  1  to  2  bushels  are  usually 
sown  per  acre,  according  to  the  cleanness  of  the  seed.  In  case  of  failuie 
to  get  a  good  stand  the  crop  may  be  allowed  to  go  to  seed  the  first  year, 
after  which  the  vacant  places  will  be  found  to  be  self-seeded.  On  small 
patches  in  such  cases  the  ground  is  sometimes  plowed  up  and  the  un- 
derground stems  scattered  along  in  the  furrows  over  the  vacant  spots. 
In  most  localities  it  is  generally  considered  desirable  to  plow  the  land 
set  in  Johnson  Grass  about  every  third  year.  Otherwise  the  root-stock s 
become  matted  near  the  surface  and  the  crop  is  more  affected  by 
drought.  Plowing  causes  it  to  grow  more  thick  and  vigorous.  If  de- 
sired, a  large  portion  of  the  root-stocks  may  be  removed  at  the  time  of 
plowing  without  injuring  the  stand.  The  greatest  objection  to  John- 
son Grass  is  the  difficulty  of  eradicating  it.  Care  should  be  taken  not 
to  introduce  it  into  fields  intended  for  cultivation.  It  spreads  rapidly, 
both  by  the  root  and  by  seed,  and  is  apt  to  enter  fields  where  it  is  not 
wanted.  On  stock-farms  this  feature  is  not  so  objectionable  as  elsewhere. 
The  grass  is  not  well  adapted  to  pasture,  and  close  pasturing  is  one 
means  of  getting  rid  of  it.    Its  succulent  subterranean  stems  are  usually 


17 

well  liked  by  hogs  after  they  have  become  accustomed  to  them,  and  by 
keeping  hogs  closely  confined  upon  it  it  may  be  eradicated.  Another 
method  of  eradication  which  is  recommended  is  to  plow  in  the  fall,  so 
as  to  expose  it  to  the  action  of  frost.  In  the  South,  where  this  grass 
is  most  largely  grown,  this  is  only  partially  successful. 
J.  N.  Rune,  Duffau  Wells,  Erath  Comity,  Northern  Texas: 

Johnson  Grass  is  the  only  cultivated  grass  that  1ms  been  tried  in  this  locality,  but 
it  spreads  so  rapidly,  and  is  so  difficult  to  subdue,  that  tanners  are  afraid  of  it.  It 
can  be  kept  from  spreading  by  not  letting  it  go  to  seed.  It  does  not  make  choice 
fodder  for  cattle,  hut  is  excellent  pasture  for  hogs  in  the  winter.  They  work  on  the 
roots,  wich  are  large  and  very  numerous,  and  do  not  seem  to  hnrtthe  yield  for  the 
next  year. 

G.  W.  Jenks,  Stepheuville,  Erath  Comity,  Texas: 

Johnson  Grass  is  susceptible  to  cold,  hence  is  not  an  early  grass,  but  when  it  does 
come  it  grows  very  fast.  The  roots  are  valuable  for  hogs,  and  they  can  be  plowed 
up  and  saved  for  cow  feed  without  injuring  the  stand  for  the  following  year.  Stock, 
raisers  speak  in  high  terms  of  it.  It  will  no  doubt  prove  a  valuable  grass  for  the 
ranches  in  Northwest  Texas,  as  the  yield  is  immense,  and  it  stands  the  dry  summers 
exceedingly  well. 

John  Vernon,  Willow  Hole,  Madison  County,  Texas: 

Johnson  Grass  makes  very  good  pasture,  all  kinds  of  stock  eat  it  freely,  and  hogs 
will  eat  the  root  to  some  extent.  It  makes  very  poor  hay,  and  must  be  plowed  and 
well  harrowed  every  year  even  to  make  good  pasture.  It  will  grow  and  make  seed 
without  plowing,  but  the  growth  will  be  short  after  the  second  year.  The  plant,  how- 
ever, is  a  great  curse  anywhere  uear  cultivated  land,  say  within  half  a  mile.  The 
seed  gets  scattered  somehow,  and  it  is  impossible  to  subdue  it  on  cultivated  laud,  at 
least  in  the  South.  I  have  beeif  told  that  to  plow  it  in  the  winter  and  let  the  roots 
freeze  will  kill  it,  but  uot  such  freezes  as  we  have  here.  I  have  tried  it,  and  the 
freezes  only  kill  the  few  roots  which  lie  on  top  of  the  ground. 

John  A.  Hill,  Whitehouse,  Tex. : 

We  need  something  that  will  stand  a  long  dry  hot  summer.  Johuson  Grass  will  do 
this,  but  it  is  too  hard  to  subdue.  A  great  many  ranchmen  ami  farmers  are  experi- 
menting largely  with  it ;  some  praise  it  highly,  others  are  not  well  pleased  with  it. 

J.  C.  Vaughn,  Paraje,  N.  Mex. : 

It  does  well,  and  I  think  after  the  second  year  will  make  better  pasture  than  Alfalfa, 
and  need  but  little,  if  any,  irrigation.  Nothing  but  a  perennial  is  of  any  use  in  this 
country,  on  account  of  our  dry  winters  and  springs.  Bermuda,  Timothy,  and  Redtop 
have  failed  with  me. 

Other  reports  from  New  Mexico  are  less  favorable.    In  a  portion  of 
the  Territory  it  is  liable  to  winter  kill. 
S.  B.  Parish,  San  Bernardino,  Cal. : 

It  has  been  largely  experimented  ou  here  under  the  name  of  Evergreen  Millet,  but 
I  kuow  of  uo  one  who  continues  to  use  it.  I  have  seen  it  nourishing  on  the  sandy 
banks  of  streams  where  it  had  escaped  from  cultivation. 

W.  A.  Sanders,  Sanders,  Fresno  County,  California: 

The  Sorghum  halepense  fails  in  furnishing  winter  feed.  There  is  also  a  more  serious 
objection.  It  roots  deep  into  the  subsoil,  and  where  that  is  at  all  alkaline  it  grows 
enormously,  but  at  the  same  time  absorbs  so  much  of  the  unpalatable  alkali  that 
stock  will  not  eat  it.     It  is  excellent  for  dry  hills  free  from  alkali. 

20265— No.  3 2 


18 

Hiram  Sibley  &  Co.,  Chicago,  111.  : 

We  have  sold  it  in  small  quantities  to  go  into  Iowa  and  Nebraska,  but  it  did  not 
succeed  there.  We  consider  it  of  value  only  in  the  South,  to  redeem  swampy  land 
or  thai  subjeel  fcooverflow.  II  is  too  coarse  to  give  satisfaction  in  northern  latitudes 
either  for  hay  or  pasture. 

W.  1J.  Averill,  Herndon,  Fairfax  County,  Virginia: 

I  sowed  some  Johnson  Grass  a  year  ago  last  spring  and  it  did  well  during  the  sum- 
mer, bul  failed  to  appear  the  following  spring. 

Others  from  Virginia  report  failure  on  account  of  winter  killing,  but 
on  the  grounds  of  the  Department  it  has  been  grown  successfully  for 
many  years,  though  in  a  somewhat  sheltered  location. 

Prof.  J.  M.  McBryde,  Columbia,  S.  C: 

On  the  Congaree  tlats,  in  Alabama,  it  is  cultivated  in  meadows  of  several  hundred 
acres.  It  is  nearly  hardy,  but  was  killed  on  wet  lands  by  the  exceptionally  cold 
weather  of  last  winter. 

J.  N.  Brashear,  jr.,  Port  Gibson,  Miss.: 

It  was  introduced  into  our  section  ten  years  ago,  and  has  increased  in  favor  ever 
since.  It  is  best  adapted  to  moderately  rich,  saudy  soil,  as,  if  the  land  is  very  rich, 
it  grows  large  and  becomes  too  woody  for  good  feed.  Planting  very  thickly  improves 
it  for  hay  and  increases  its  yield. 

Prof.  F.  A.  Gulley,  Agricultural  College,  Mississippi: 

A  most  valuable  hay  plant  on  rich,  well-drained  land,  but  a  pest  on  poor  or  wet  land. 

A.  B.  Langlois,  Pointe  a  la  Hache,  La.: 

It  has  been  introduced  several  times  into  cultivation  here,  but  is  now  generally 
abandoned,  though  in  many  places  it  remains  as  a  weed,  particularly  in  corn  and  cane 
fields. 

J.  W.  Sylvester,  Washington,  Saint  Landry  Parish,  Louisiana : 

There  are,  perhaps,  fifty  acres  of  it  in  this  parish.  Its  yield  is  more  uniform,  tak- 
ing one  year  with  another,  than  any  other  grass  I  know  of.  I  have  known  it  for 
about  seven  years,  and  am  increasing  my  small  plantation  of  it.  It  seems  to  succeed 
best  in  stiff*  black  soils,  where  it  will  withstand  almost  any  amount  of  drought  or 
overflow. 

Millo  Maize,  Sorghum  vulgare  (variety). 

This  plant  has  been  widely  discussed  within  the  last  few  years  in  the 
agricultural  press,  and  is  valued  by  many  who  have  grown  it  as  a  fod- 
der plant  in  the  South.  There  is  considerable  difference  of  opinion, 
however,  as  to  its  relative  value  as  compared  with  the  other  sorghums, 
and  with  Indian  corn.  The  following  from  among  the  replies  received 
are  given  as  additional  evidence  in  regard  to  it. 

J.  S.  Newman,  director  experiment  station,  Agricultural  and  Mechan- 
ical College,  Auburn,  Ala.: 

The  popularity  of  this  plant  is  waning,  it  having  no  special  advantages  over  com- 
mon corn,  cat-tail,  millet,  or  common  sorghum. 

As  evidence  that  Millo  Maize  has  undergone  acclimation,  I  will  add  that  plants 
grown  from  seed  freshly  imported  from  South  America  do  not  mature  seeds  here. 

Dr.  Charles  Mohr,  Mobile,  Ala.: 

In  the  last  three  seasons  this  has  been  grown  sucessfully  in  this  vicinity  by  several 
parties.     It  ripens  its  seed  before  tho  advent  of  frost,  which  kills  the  plants  to  the 


10 

roots.  It  does  very  well  in  the  light  soils  of  the  Cdast  plain,  and  perhaps  everywhere 
in  the  pine  region  where  there  is  a  day  foundation.     The  growth  of  t  bis  grass  during 

the  early  pari  o?  the  season  is  much  retarded  by  the  chilly  nights  and  spells  of  con- 
tinued cold  weather.  It  is  only  after  the  advent  of  settled  warm  weather  that  it, 
enters  upon  its  period  of  more  vigorous  growth. 

Four  cuttings  may  he  taken  during  the  season. 

Plants  intended  for  seed  are  left  undisturbed,  and  grow  to  a  height  of  18  or  20  feet, 
ripening  in  October.  Great  trouble  in  securing  the  seed  is  caused  by  the  ravages  of 
numerous  birds. 

The  fodder  obtained  from  the  repeated  cuttings,  on  account  of  its  succulence,  is 
difficult  to  cure,  and  in  damp  weather  almost,  impossible.  To  cure  dry  fodder  for 
winter  use  the  plants  are,  after  the  second  cutting,  left  to  grow  until  towards  the  end 
of  the  season,  when,  having  obtained  a  height  of  12  to  15  feet,  and  before  opening 
their  flowers,  the  stalks  .are  cut  aud  placed  on  end  in  small  shocks.  After  being 
sufficiently  dried  they  are  placed  upright  under  an  airy  shed  or  barn,  protected 
from  the  damp.  In  that  way  sufficient  ventilation  is  secured  to  prevent  heating  and 
molding,  and  to  keep  the  fodder  sweet  and  palatable.  The  fodder  is  said  to  be  pre- 
ferred by  all  kinds  of  live  stock  to  any  other  fodder  or  hay.  As  to  its  nutritious  value 
as  compared  with  corn  fodder  opinions  differ.  The  seeds  are  planted  in  spring  in 
beds,  which  can  bo  covered  over  during  cool  nights,  and  from  these  are  transferred, 
when  8  to  10  inches  iu  height,  to  the  field,  and  thereafter  treated  in  the  same  manner 
as  corn. 

J.  B.  Darthit,  Denver,  S.  C: 

It  grows  here  very  well,  and  matures  seed  siuce  it  has  become  acclimated.  I  have 
never  planted  anything  for  forage  tbat  yielded  a  finer  crop,  but  as  it  is  very  exhaustiv 
to  the  land  and  is  not  of  very  great  value  for  feed,  I  have  quit  raising  it. 

James  H.  Fowles,  Orangeburg  Court  House,  S.  C: 

It  is  little  growu  here,  but  gives  a  large  yield,  and  stands  drought  well.  If  planted 
late  it  fails  to  mature  seed,  but  it  does  mature  them  in  less  time  now  thau  when  first 
introduced.  It  is  uot  very  highly  thought  of,  pearl  millet  beiug  superior  for  cutting 
green,  aud  ar«iber  sorgbum  better  for  seed,  as  well  as  for  feeding  in  the  dry  state. 

William  B.  McDaniel,  Faceville,  Ga. : 

Millo  Maize  grows  finely,  I  believe,  all  over  Georgia.  While  green  and  growing 
my  stock  would  not  eat  it,  but  last  fall  after  frost  my  oxen  ate  it  greedily,  eating  the 
heads  and  blades,  the  stalk  being  too  tough. 

E.  W.  Jones,  Buena  Vista,  Miss. : 

It  does  finely  here,  and  makes  splendid  greeufeed,  and  may  be  cut  for  that  purpose 
about  three  times  a  year,  but  stock  do  not  relish  it  mucb  after  it  is  dry. 

H.  D.  Shaw,  Oarrollton,  Miss. : 

Milo  Maize  (yellow  variety)  is  the  most  profitable  forage  plant  tbat  can  be  raised 
in  Mississippi.  The  seeds  mature,  and  are  excellent  stock  food.  It  grows  luxuriantly 
in  all  portions  of  the  State.  The  white  variety  does  not  yield  so  well,  though  this 
year  I  harvested  2£  tons  of  cured  bay  of  the  white  variety  from  1  acre  of  poor  hill 
land  that  would  uot  have  made  to  exceed  8  bushels  of  corn.  The  white  variety  does 
not  mature  its  seed  in  this  latitude. 

Leonard  A.  Heil,  San  Antonio,  Tex. : 

Seed  of  this  forage  plant  has  been  distributed  in  this  section,  and  planted  by  quite 
a  number  of  intelligent  men,  who  pronounce  it  inferior  to  the  common  sorghum  or  to 
corn  fodder,  stock  leaving  it  to  go  to  either  of  them.  It  seeds  very  profusely,  but, 
as  poultry  is  not  an  object  among  the  ranchmen,  it  has  no  value  in  that  direction. 


20 
American  Canary  Grass,  Phalaris  intermedia,  PI.  VI. 

Also  called  lieed  Canary  Grass,  Stewart's  Canary  Grass,  Gilbert's  Re- 
lief Grass,  and  California  Timothy. 

This  species  resembles  the  foreign  Canary  Grass  (Phalaris  Canariensis) 
which  produces  the  seed  commonly  sold  for  canary  birds.  It  is,  how- 
ever, taller  and  more  robust,  growing  2  or  3  feet  high,  with  a  jstout  erect 
stalk,  and  broad  leaves  from  4  to  10  inches  long.  The  spike  or  head 
is  oblong  and  compact,  1  to  2  inches  long.  There  is  a  variety  called 
angusta  which  is  larger  and  more  valuable,  and  in  which  the  spike  is 
more  narrow  and  3  to  4  inches  long. 

This  grass  grows  native  from  South  Carolina  through  the  Gulf  States, 
and  across  into  California  and  Oregon.  On  the  Pacific  coast  it  is  not 
considered  of  much  value.  From  the  South  it  has  frequently  been  sent 
to  the  Department  as  a  valuable  winter  grass. 

It  is  comparatively  little  known  in  cultivation,  and  the  evidence  on 
some  points  in  regard  to  it  is  somewhat  conflicting,  but  there  is  much 
testimony  as  to  its  value  for  winter  and  spring  grazing  and  for  hay. 
It  is  worthy  of  extended  trial,  and  by  cultivation  and  selection  it  will 
no  doubt  prove  of  permanent  value  in  some  localities. 

Thomas  W.  Beaty,  of  Conway,  S.  C. : 

The  inclosed  specimen  is  from  seed  planted  last  September,  and  was  cut  on  the  9th 
of  the  following  March.  You  will  notice  that  it  is  heading  out,  and  is  just  now 
in  the  right  condition  for  mowing.  It  is  wholly  a  winter  grass,  dying  down  in  the 
latter  part  of  April  or  early  in  May.  It  seems  to  me  that  it  would  be  a  valuable  thing 
for  the  South  if  properly  introduced  and  cultivated,  or  rather  the  ground  properly 
prepared  and  the  seed  sown  at  the  right  time.  It  would  afford  the  best  of  green 
pasturage  for  sheep  or  cattle  all  winter.     We  call  it  Gilbert's  relief  grass. 

A.  B.  Langlois,  Poiute  a  la  Hache,  La. : 

It  is  killed  nearly  to  the  ground  by  the  first  frost.  Only  the  variety  angusta  grows 
here  to  any  extent.  It  is  found  in  damp  swampy  places,  growing  with  great  vigor. 
The  typical  species  I  have  seen  sparingly  on  drier  poorer  lands,  but  it  is  far  from 
being  as  vigorous  as  the  variety. 

S.  B.  Wallis,  Wallisville,  Southeastern  Texas: 

I  consider  it  our  most  valuable  grass  for  winter  pastures  and  for  an  early  crop  of  hay. 
It  grows  all  through  the  winter,  is  not  affected  by  cold,  and  makes  a  heavy  crop  of 
seed  very  valuable  for  poultry. 

Dr.  G.  Lincecum,  of  Texas,  in  an  article  on  Southern  Grasses  in  the 
Patent  Office  Report  of  18G0,  p.  235,  says : 

The  Phalaris  is  an  indigenous  biennial  grass,  superior  for  hay.  It  comes  up  during 
the  autumnal  rains,  and  in  its  odor,  taste,  habits,  and  mode  of  throwing  off  radical 
branches  it  so  much  resembles  wheat,  that  it  requires  considerable  familiarity  with 
both  to  distinguish  them  during  the  winter  and  spring  months.  It  matures  towards 
the  first  of  May.  A  few  years  ago  I  prepared  the  ground  and  sowed  2  acres  of  it.  It 
rose  3  feet  to  40  inches  in  height,  and  was  mowed  on  the  28th  of  April.  It  produced 
a  fine  lot  of  hay,  and,  coming  at  the  time  it  did,  it  seemed  to  bo  more  acceptable  to 
my  horses  than  anything  else  that  I  had  of  the  fodder  kind.  I  have  seen  bunches  of 
this  grass  in  favorable  situations  7  feet  high  with  54  stems  bearing  heads  on  the  same 
stock.  The  seeds  are  about  the  size  and  very  much  like  flaxseed.  It  flourishes  well 
on  all  our  good  timbered  lands,  but  much  the  best  on  our  black  prairie  soil. 


Plate  VI 


CLS.SL 


PlIALAKIS    INTERMEDIA. 


Plate  VII. 


tone  "Ml 


•POROBOLUS   INDICUS. 


21 

Daniel  Griswold,  Westminster,  Los  Angeles  County,  California: 
It  is  a  native  grass,  growing  in  very  wet  places,  and  not  much  thought  of.    Lt  loses 

Lts  seeds  very  quickly,  and  makes  poor  hay. 

Smut  Grass,  Sporobolus  Indicus,  PI.  VII. 

This  grass  is  a  native  of  India,  but  has  spread  over  most  tropical  and 
warm  climates.  It  oecurs  more  or  less  abundantly  in  all  the  Southern 
States,  and  is  called  Smut  Grass  from  the  tact  that  after  flowering  the 
heads  frequently  become  affected  with  a  black  smut. 

Some  have  supposed  this  smut  to  be  poisonous,  from  its  somewhat 
resembling  the  ergot  of  rye,  but  it  is  caused  by  an  eutirely  different 
fungus,  and  there  is  no  evidence  that  it  is  of  a  poisonous  nature.  The 
names  Carpet  grass  and  Drop  seed  are  sometimes  given  to  this  grass, 
but  there  are  other  grasses  to  which,  these  names  are  applied  more  prop- 
erly. 

Smut  Grass  is  a  perennial,  iuclined  to  grow  in  tufts  or  loose  patches, 
growing  erect,  usually  from  li-  to  3  feet  high,  with  an  abundance  of 
long,  flat,  pointed  leaves  near  the  base,  and  a  very  narrow  terminal 
panicle,  frequently  a  foot  high.  It  has  never  been  cultivated,  as  far  as 
I  know,  but  forms  very  good  natural  pasture  in  some  localities.  It 
should  be  kept  fed  down,  as  if  allowed  to  throw  up  its  seed  stalks,  stock, 
especially  cattle,  do  not  eat  it  readily,  the  stems  being  hard  and  woody. 
For  the  same  reason  it  is  not  considered  very  valuable  for  hay.  If  sown 
thickly,  and  kept  closely  grazed,  it  may  prove  worthy  of  cultivation  for 
a  summer  pasture. 

<7.  X.  I3rashear,  jr.,  Port  Gibson,  Miss.: 

It  is  common  all  over  our  pasture  lauds  and  is  very  hardy,  standing  any  sort  of 
weather.  It  grows  well  on  almost  any  kind  of  laud,  but  does  best  on  rich,  moist 
bottoms.  It  is  uot  used  to  any  considerable  extent  for  hay,  but  it  makes  splendid 
feed  if  cut  while  young.  It  will  yield  about  \\  tons  per  acre.  It  can  be  easily  kept 
down  by  cultivation,  but  as  soon  as  we  quit  cultivating  the  land,  it  comes  up  agaiu. 
It  makes  a  splendid  pasture  plant,  and  that  is  what  we  generally  use  it  for.  Stock 
are  generally  fond  of  it  until  it  goes  to  seed,  and  they  sometimes  eat  it  when  dry  in 
winter.     It  never  needs  reseeding  when  once  started. 

Dr.  Charles  Mohr,  Mobile,  Ala. : 

Frequently  found  spontaneous  around  habitations,  and  is  perfectly  hardy  against 
cold  and  drought.  In  dry,  light,  loamy  soil  it  grows  in  tussocks.  It  does  well  in  the 
shade,  and  takes  possesion  of  the  grass-plots  around  farm  buildings.  It  is  a  coarse 
grass,  and  seems  but  little  relished  by  horned  cattle,  but  is  geueraily  eaten  by  horses 
and  mules. 

Prof.  J.  M.  McBryde,  State  Agricultural  and  .Mechanical  College, 
Columbia,  S.  C. : 

It  is  widely  established,  and  is  a  pest  in  lawns  on  account  of  its  bunchy  habit.  It 
grows  in  tufts,  very  coarse  and  tough,  and  when  old  is  refused  by  stock,  but  when 
youug  affords  good  pasturage.  It  is  not  cut  for  hay.  It  is  earlier  than  Bennnda,  and 
withstands  drought  well. 


22 

K.  J.  Redding,  Atlanta,  Ga.: 

(hows  iii  Southwestern  Georgia,  but  is  not  much  esteemed. 

Mrs.  J.  A.  B  Ian  chard,  Umatilla,  Orange  County,  Central  Florida: 

A  permanent  evergreen  bunch  grass,  which  on  some  of  our  flat  moist  lands  makes 
a  good  deal  of  the  grass,  and  affords  abundant  and  nutritious  pasturage.  It  was  set 
in  our  yard  by  the  former  owner  and  is  a  constant  grower,  winter  and  summer,  if  not 
allowed  lo  seed. 

James  C.  Xeal,  M.  D.,  Archer,  Alachua  County,  Northern  Florida: 
One  of  our  best  summer  grasses,  grows  everywhere  and  is  well  liked  by  cattle. 

J.  G.  Knapp,  State  statistical  agent,  Li  m  on  a,  Hillsborough  County, 

Southern  Florida  : 

This  grass  is  rapidly  spreading  through  the  county,  and  forms  a  winter  pasture. 
It  grows  with  Bermuda,  and  the  two  give  green  pasture  through  the  year.  Stock  re- 
fuse to  eat  the  seed  stems,  and  these  should  be  cut  down  after  it  has  ripened  its  seeds. 
It  is  perfectly  hardy,  and  grows  during  the  driest  season,  yieldiug  about  the  same 
amount  of  hay  or  pasture  as  Bermuda,  and  about  as  nutritions. 

Velvet  Grass,  EoJcus  lanatus,  PI.  VIII. 

Also  known  as  Meadow  Soft  Grass,  Velvet  Lawn  Grass,  Velvet  Mesquit 
Grass,  &c.  Introduced  from  Europe,  and  naturalized  in  many  parts  of 
the  United  States.  It  makes  a  striking;  and  beautiful  appearance,  but 
stock  are  not  very  fond  of  it,  either  green  or  cured.  It  is  a  perennial, 
but  not  very  strongly  rooted,  and  does  not  spread  from  the  root  as  do 
most  perennial  grasses.  It  seeds  abundantly,  and  is  generally  propa- 
gated by  seed,  though  sometimes  by  dividing  the  plants.  It  prefers 
low  land,  but  does  very  well  even  on  sandy  upland,  and  its  chief  value 
is  in  being  able  to  grow  on  land  too  poor  for  other  grasses.  The  seed 
has  been  in  market  many  years,  but  it  has  come  into  cultivation  very 
slowly,  and  it  is  not  generally  held  in  very  high  esteem  as  an  agricultural 
grass,  either  in  this  country  or  in  Europe.  Some  speak  well  of  it,  how- 
ever, and  it  has  frequently  beeu  sent  to  the  Department  from  the  South 
with  strong  recommendations  for  its  productiveness. 
C.  Menelas,  Savannah,  Ga. : 

Known  almost  all  over  the  South  as  yieldiug  more  than  orchard  grass,  but  for  some 
reason  only  grown  where  nature  has  plauted  it. 

Mrs.  J.  W.  Bryan,  Dillon,  Northwestern  Georgia  : 

My  meadows  and  ditches  are  full  of  it,  though  it  is  not  sown  here.  It  is  very  val- 
uable for  pasture,  aud  gives  a  very  early  and  heavy  yield  of  hay. 

L.  S.  Nicholson,  Grumly,  Northeastern  Alabama  : 

This  grass  has  been  grown  on  a  farm  I  own  for  about  ten  years.  It  docs  best  on 
rich  moist  land,  but  grows  fairly  well  on  poor,  dry,  sandy  land,  where  other,  and,  I 
must  say,  better  grasses  fail. 

It  grows  from  two  to  three  feet  high  and  makes  apparently  sufficient  hay,  but  very 
lighl  ami  chaffy  and  of  inferior  quality.  It  appears  to  be  hardy  and  will  withstand 
drought  very  well.  The  grass  is  right  pretty  when  growing,  and  nice  for  pastures, 
but  we  have  other  grasses  so  much  better  that  can  generally  be  grown  on  land  that 
this  would  occupy  that  I  shall  vote  agaiust  it  for  all  purposes. 


Plate  VIII. 


'    H.H.Nichol^l, 


HOLCUS  LANATUS. 


23 

Clarke  Lewis,  Oliftonville,  Miss.  : 

1 1  grows  on  poor,  sandy  land  to  a  heigh!  of  three  to  foor  feel  ;  stands-  drought 
well,  but  can  be  killed  by  a  slight  overflow.  It  is  valuable  as  a  soiling  plaut,  but 
makes  inferior  hay.  It  is  an  annual,  and  if  intended  for  a  permanent  meadow  must 
be  ent  only  once  and  then  allowed  to  reseed  itself. 

H.  W.  L.  Lewis,  secretary  Louisiana  State  Grange,  Tangipahoa  Par- 
isb,  Louisiana  (P.  G.;  Osyka,  Miss.)  : 

It  is  hardy  and  cultivated  in  small  lots,  doiug  best  on  rich,  sandy  loam,  yielding 
two  to  three  tons  per  acre.  I  have  experimented  more  than  any  one  else  in  my  sec- 
tion with  forage  plants,  especially  winter  grains  and  grasses.  Have  used  rye  and 
barley  for  winter  feed,  but  have  given  them  np  in  favor  of  the  Holcus  lanatm;  have 
had  this  in  cultivation  for  Thirty  years.  It  is  a  perennial,  but  owing  to  its  shallow 
roots  it  dies  out  during  our  long,  dry  summer  and  fall  from  50  to  75  per  cent.  Oue 
lot  kept  the  third  year  had  less  than  10  percent,  of  the  grass  alive.  Hence  I  have  for 
twenty  years  or  more  used  it  as  an  annual,  sowing  it  with  turnips,  collards,  or  by  it- 
self. A  gopd  way  is  to  sow  the  seed  broadcast  and  cover  lightly  in  a  late  crop  of 
turnips  after  the  last  cultivation.  After  the  turnip  crop  is  removed  the  first  warm 
days  in  January  or  February  will  start  the  grass  into  rapid  growth.  It  is  cut  fre- 
quently through  the  spring  for  green  feed,  and  after  oats  aie  ready  to  ent,  is  allowed 
to  mature  sead. 

Prof.  William  R.  Dudley,  Ithaca,  K  Y. : 

It  is  hardy,  but  does  not  grow  wild  here.  It  is  common  ou  some  of  the  Elizabeth 
Islands  off  New  Bedford,  especially  on  Penikese,  where  many  sheep  are  kept  which 
eat  it  freely. 

Dr.  A.Gattinger,  Nashville,  Tenn.: 

This  is  spreading  rapidly  in  East  Tenffessee,  especially  in  the  mountains,  but  not 
in  Middle  or  West  Tennessee.  It  makes  good  hay,  but  not  the  best.  It  grows  more 
luxuriantly  here  than  in  Germany. 

Prof.  S.  M.  Tracy,  Columbia,  Mo. : 

It  makes  a  weak  growth  and  is  of  no  value  in  Missouri. 

Dr.  W.  J.  Beal,  Agricultural  College,  Michigan : 

It  is  poor  stuff  where  we  can  grow  something  better. 

Prof.  James  Troop,  La  Fayette,  Ind. : 

It  is  but  little  cultivated,  though  it  is  perfectly  hardy  and  does  well  on  our  black 

sandy  loam. 

James  II.  Hebbron,  Salinas  City,  Cal.,  sends  specimens  of  Holcus 
lanatus  and  says: 

1  inclose  a  few  heads  of  what  is  known  aud  sold  iu  the  seed  stores  here  as  Mesquit 
Grass,  said  to  hive  come  from  Texas,  though  I  never  saw  any  like  it  there.  It 
grows  well  on  all  kinds  of  soil  in  this  locality,  and  ad  along  the  coast  within  the  fog 
belt.  If  the  seed  is  scattered  iu  tin;  timber  or  on  the  hillsides,  it  catches  very  read- 
ily without  plowing  or  harrowing,  aud  its  abundant  seeds  spread  it  very  rapidly. 
Ir  comes  early,  and  if  fed  down,  keeps  green  a  long  time.  When  young  it  is  liable 
to  be  pulled   up  or  broken  off  by  stock  feeding  on  it. 

Prof.  J.  I>.  Killebrew,  in  "The  Grasses  of  Tennessee,"  says  : 

It  abounds  on  the  marshy  flats  of  the  Cumberland  Mountains,  but  stock  do  not  eat 
it  as  well  as  .some  other  kinds.  For  lawns  or  yards,  however,  it  is  unequaled.  A 
yard  turfed  over  with  this  grass  presents  a  most  lovely  appearance,  and  looks  as  if 
spread  with  a  velvet  carpet.     It  is  easily  propagated,  needing  to  be  sown  but  lightly. 


24 

after  winch  it  will  take  care  of  itself,  rlhe  chief  merits  of  this  grass  are  its  soft 
beauty,  its  productiveness;  and  its  tenacity  of  life;  when  onee  well  set  it  bids  defi- 
ance to  all  other  species.  Enriching  the  soil  is  the  only  way  to  get  rid  of  it.  It 
grows  well  upon  thin  sandy  places,  and  will  therefore  suit  the  sandstone  soil  of  the 
Cumberland  Mountains.  The  seeds  weigh  about  ?  pounds  to  the  bushel,  and  as  many 
as  80  bushels  have  been  grown  to  the  acre. 

Prof.  D.  L.  Phares,  in  his  "  Farmer's  Book  of  Grasses,"  says : 

In  the  Eastern  States  this  grass  is  called  Salem  Grass,  and  White  Timothy;  in  the 
South,  Velvet  Lawn  Grass,  and  Velvet  Mesquit  Grass;  in  England,  Wooly  Soft  Grass 
and  Yorkshire  White.  It  has  been  sent  to  me  for  name  more  frequently  than  any 
other  grass.  Having  found  its  way  to  Texas,  people  going  there  from  other  States 
have  sent  back  seeds  to  their  friends,  calling  it  Texas  Velvet  Mesquit  Grass,  suppos- 
ing it  a  native  of  that  State.  So  far  as  has  come  to  my  knowledge,  nine-tenths  of  all 
so-called  Mesquit  Grass  planted  in  the  Southern  States  is  this  European  Velvet  Grass. 
It  grows  much  larger  in  some  of  the  Southern  States  than  in  the  Eastern  States  or  in 
England,  and  seems  to  have  greatly  improved  by  acclimation. 

Velvet  Grass  may  be  readily  propagated  by  sowing  the  seed  or  dividing  the  roots. 
It  luxuriates  in  moist  peaty  lands,  but  will  grow  on  poor  sandy  or  clay  hill  lands, 
and  produce  remunerative  crops  where  few  other  plants  will  make  anything. 

The  reason  that  cattle  do  not  prefer  it  is  not  because  of  a  deficiency  in  nutrition, 
but  because  of  its  combination  It  is  deficient  simply  in  saline  and  bitter  extractive 
matters  which  cattle  relish  in  grasses. 

It  is  by  no  means  the  best  or'  our  grasses,  but  best  ou  some  lauds.  Other  grasses 
are  more  profitable  to  me.  It  should  be  sown  from  August  to  October,  14  pounds 
equal  to  two  bushels  per  acre.  Northward  it  is  perennial,  in  the  South  not  strictly  so. 

Tall  Oat  Grass,  Arrhcnatherum  avenaceum,  PI.  IX. 

Oat  Grass,  Taller  Oat  Grass,  Tall  Meadow  Oat  Grass,  Pay  Grass,  &c. 

This  vigorous  perennial  has  been  introduced  and  widely  distributed 
in  this  country.  It  is  adapted  to  a  variety  of  soils  and  climates,  and 
is  found  naturalized  in  many  localities,  but  it  does  not  appear  to  meet 
with  the  favor  here  that  it  does  ou  the  continent  of  Europe.  It  is  used 
both  for  hay  aud  pasture,  but  is  chiefly  valued  for  winter  and  early 
spring  pasture,  especially  at  the  South,  for  light  soils,  and  though  not 
of  finest  quality  it  is  eaten  very  well  by  stock  in  the  absence  of  other 
grasses  or  when  mixed  with  them. 

A.  P.  Kowe,  Fredericksburg,  Va. : 

Tall  Oat  Grass  has  been  seeded  here  aud  does  well.  It  conies  in  with  Orchard 
Grass  for  hay,  and  the  two  might  be  seeded  together  with  the  best  results. 

T.  W.  Wood  &  Sons,  Richmond.  Va. : 

It  is  cultivated  very  generally  for  past  ire  and  hay,  and  is  the  best  grass  we  know 
for  thin  soils.  It  is  hardy,  stands  drought  moderately  well,  is  easily  subdued,  and 
lasts  five  or  six  years. 

D.  K.  Norris,  Hickory  Flat,  S.  G- : 

It  is  popular  with  all  who  have  tried  it  for  pastures.  It  prefers  moist  (uot  wet)  clay 
loam,  aud  lasts  four  years. 

Hiram  Sibley  &  Co.,  Chicago,  111.  : 

Taller  Oat  <;rass  is  grown  to  some  extent  on  moist  sandy  loam,  and  yields  heavily, 
but  is  not  a  favorite.     It  is  Lardy   and  withstands  drought  well  after  the  first  year. 


Plate  IX 


*»&mj3  -^t\t 


Arrhexatherim  avenaceum. 


Plate  X. 


'rrf7* 


Cynodon  dactylon. 


25 

It  is  best  adapted  to  sandj  Loam  or  underdraincd  swampy  land,  where  it  yields  3  or 
4  tons  per  acre  at  the  first  cutting,  and  about  I'.  tons  the  second.  It  lasts  fro  in 
four  to  six  years,  and  is  not  so  easily  subdued  by  cultivation  as  Timothy. 

Dr.  W.  J.  Beal,  Agricultural  College,  Michigan  : 

It  is  cultivated  in  a  few  places  in  the  state,  proving  perfectly  hardy,  and  doing 
best  on  deep  porous  soils  where  it  stands  drought  very  well,  yielding  perhaps  3  tons 
per  acre.     It  makes  good  pasture  and  lasts  a  longtime. 

J.  J.  Dotson,  Cedarton,  Tex. : 

It  is  very  fair  for  early  spriug  pastures,  and  to  cut  for  green  feed  when  it  first  heads 
in  March,  but  it  is  not  liked  as  hay.  It  is  too  light,  and  the  seeds  fallout  too  easily. 
I  have  never  known  it  cultivated.     Thrives  only  ou  low  bottom  land. 

Prof.  D.  L.  Phares,  of  Mississippi,  says: 

It  is  widely  naturalized,  and  well  adapted  to  a  great  variety  of  soils.  On  sandy  and 
gravelly  soils  it  succeeds  admirably,  growing  2  to  3  ieet  high.  On  rich  dry  upland 
it  grows  5  to  7  feet  high.  It  has  an  abundance  of  perennial  long  fibrous  roots,  pene- 
trating deeply  in  the  soil,  enabling  it  to  resist  drought  and  cold  and  yield  a  large 
amount  of  foliage  winter  and  summer. 

These  advantages  render  it  one  of  the  very  best  grasses  for  the  South,  both  for 
grazing,  being  evergreen,  and  for  hay.  admitting  of  being  cut  twieo  a  year.  It  is 
proabbly  the  best  winter  grass  that  can  be  obtained.  It  will  make  twice  as  much  hay 
as  Timothy.  To  make  good  hay  it  must  be  cut  as  soon  as  it  blooms,  and  after  cut, 
must  not  be  wefc  by  dew  or  rain,  which  damages  it  greatly  iu  quality  and  appearance. 
For  green  soiling  it  may  be  cut  four  or  live  times  iu  favorable  seasms.  In  from  six 
to  ten  days  alter  blooming  the  seeds  begin  to  ripen  and  fall,  the  upper  ones  first. 
It  is  therefore  somewhat  troublesome  to  save  the  seed  ;  a3  soou  as  those  at  the  top  of 
the  panicle  ripen  sufficiently  to  begin  to,drop,  they  should  be  cut  and  dried,  when 
they  will  mature  and  thrash  out  readily.  It  may  be  sowed  in  March  or  April,  and  he 
mowed  the  same  season  ;  but  if  sown  in  September  or  October,  the  yield  the  next 
season  will  be  heavier.  Not  less  than  2  bushels  (14  pounds)  per  acre  should  be  sown. 
The  annual  yield  of  this  grass  iu  the  Southern  belt  is  probably  twice  as  great  as  in 
Pennsylvania  and  the  Northern  Slates. 

Bermuda  Grass,  Cynodou  daetylon,  PI.  X. 

This  is  undoubtedly,  on  the  whole,  the  most  valuable  grass  in  the 
South.  It  is  a  native  of  Southern  Europe,  and  of  all  tropical  countries. 
It  is  a  common  pasture  grass  in  the  West  Indies  and  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  and  has  long  been  known  in  the  United  States,  but  the  diffi- 
culty of  eradicating  it  when  once  established  has  retarded  its  introduc- 
tion into  cultivation.  Its  value,  however,  is  becoming  more  appre- 
ciated now  that  more  attention  is  being  given  to  grass  and  relatively 
less  to  cotton,  and  better  methods  and  implements  of  cultivation  are 
being  employed.  Still,  it  seems  probable,  from  the  reports  received, 
that  at  the  present  time  a  majority  of  farmers  would  prefer  not  to  have 
it  on  their  farms.  It  seeds  very  sparingly  in  the  United  States,  and  as 
the  imported  seed  is  not  always  to  be  had,  and  is  expensive,  and  often 
of  poor  quality,  those  who  have  desired  to  cultivate  it  on  a  large  scale 
have  seldom  been  able  to  do  so.  It  is  generally  used  as  a  lawn  grass, 
and  to  hold  levees  or  railroad  embankments,  and  for  small  pastures. 
In  some  localities,  however,  it  has  spread  over  a  considerable  extent  of 
territory.     Its  natural  extension  into  new  territory  has  been  slow,  owing 


26 

to  the  nearly  or  entire  absence  of  seed,  bnt  it  spreads  rapidly  by  ist 

aerial  and  subterranean  rooting  stems  when  introduced.  It  is  usually 
propagated  artificially  by  means  of  the  sets  or  rooting  stems.    These 

arc  sometimes  chopped  up  with  a  cutting  knife,  sown  broadcast  and 
plowed  under  shallow;  sometimes  they  are  dropped  a  foot  or  two  apart 
in  shallow  furrows,  and  covered  by  a  plow;  sometimes  pieces  of  the 
sod  are  planted  about  two  feet  apart  each  way.  By  any  of  these  means. 
a  continuous  sod  is  obtained  in  a  few  months  if  the  soil  is  good  and 
well  prepaied. 

The  chief  value  of  Bermuda  is  for  summer  pasture.  It  grows  best 
in  the  hottest  weather,  and  ordinary  droughts  affect  it  but  little.  The 
tops  are  easily  killed  by  frosts,  but  the  roots  are  quite  hardy  through- 
out the  Southern  States.  It  is  grown  to  some  extent  as  far  north  as  Vir- 
ginia, but  in  that  latitude  it  possesses  little  advantage  over  other 
grasses.  In  Tennessee,  according  to  Professor  Killebrew,  its  chief 
value  is  for  pasture,  there  being  other  grasses  there  of  more  value  for 
hay.  Farther  south,  however,  it  is  highly  prized  for  hay.  To  make 
the  largest  quantity  and  best  quality  it  should  be  mowed  several  times 
during  the  season.  The  yield  varies  greatly  according  to  soil,  being 
generally  reported  at  from  a  ton  and  a  half  to  two  tons  per  acre.  Much 
larger  yields  have  been  reported,  however,  in  specially  favorable  locali- 
ties, where  several  cuttings  were  made. 

Bermuda  is  more  easily  eradicated  from  sandy  land  than  from  clay, 
and  on  such  land  may  be  more  safely  introduced  into  a  rotation.  To 
kill  it  out  it  should  be  rooted  up  or  plowed  very  shallow  some  time  in 
December  and  cultivated  or  harrowed  occasionally  during  the  winter. 
If  severe  freezes  occur  most  of  it  will  be  killed  by  spring  ;  or  it  may  be 
turned  under  deeply  in  spring  and  the  laud  cultivated  in  some  hoed 
crop  or  one  which  wdl  heavily  shade  the  ground. 

M.  M.  Martin,  Comanche,  Comanche  County,  Central  Texas  : 

Bermuda  Grass  grows  on  any  kind  of  soil  in  Texas,  bat  will  not  stand  the  tramp- 
ing of  stock  on  loose  sandy  soil.  It  is  hard  to  beat  for  a  grazing  grass,  though  long 
droughts  cause  it  to  dry  ap.     It  is  not  very  early  to  start  in  the  spring. 

William  F.  Gill,  Kerrville,  Kerr  County,  Central  Texas  : 

It  is  hardy  against  cold,  bnt  does  not  spread  in  this  dry  section,  barely  holding 
its  own  against  our  long  droughts. 

George  Echols,  Longview,  Gregg  County,  Northeastern  Texas  : 

Bermuda  thrives  on  dry  soil  south  of  35°.  It  requires  no  cultivation,  stands 
droughts  well,  and  affords  green  pasture  eight  months  in  the  year.  It  will  stand 
three  months  under  water  and  not  kill  out. 

Whitfield  Moore,  Woodland.  lied  Uiver  County,  Northeastern  Texas: 

Bermuda  stands  droughts  well,  is  a  good  fertilizer,  grows  well  from  fifteen  to  twenty 
years  from  one  planting,  then  only  needs  plowing  in  Bpriug  to  renew  it.  It  is  toler- 
ably easily  subdued  by  shallow  turning  in  early  winter,  so  that  it  will  freeze  It 
yields  heavy  crops  of  hay  and  can  be  mowed  three  times  a  year.  It  is  the  finest  grass 
I  have  ever  seen  for  summer  grazing,  and  when  inclosed  from  stock  during  the  sum- 
mer it  is  tine  winter  grazing.  It  will  stop  washing  and  cause  low  wet  laud  to  till  up 
and  become  dry. 


27 

E.  W.  Jones,  Buena  Vista,  Miss. : 

Bermuda  has  been  a  greal  tenor  to  planters  until  recently.  If  plowed  shallow  Late 
in  the  fall,  and  allowed  to  freeze  during  winter,  there  is  no  trouble  to  cultivate  a  crop 
the  next  season.  The  ground  becomes  perfectly  mellow,  and  though  the  grass  is  not 
dead,  it  does  but  little  injury  to  the  crop. 

Dr.  B.  II.  Brodnax,  Brodnax,  Morehouse  Parish,  Louisiana: 

There  are  no  cultivated  grasses  in  this  parish.  Bermuda,  which  wasa  lt  fashionable 
craze"  thirty  years  ago,  has  ruined  several  of  the  finest  and  Largest  plantations  in 
the  paiish,  rendering  them  unfit  for  cultivation.     This  is  the  only  attempt  at  the 

cultivation  of  grasses  here  that  I  know  of. 

G.  A.  Frierson,  Frierson's  Mill,  De  Soto  Parish,  Louisiana : 

In  my  opinion  this  is  the  most,  valuable  grass  in  the  world,  either  for  pasture  or 
meadow,  and  the  Southern  stock-raiser  has  little  need  of  any  other  if  he  understands 
how  to  use  this. 

S.  W.  Sylvester,  Washington,  Saint  Landry  Parish,  Louisiana : 

Bermuda  Grass  is  largely  cultivated  here.  It  is  scarcely  affected  by  a  drought  of 
three  weeks,  and  anything  less  than  that  does  not  affect  it  at  all.  It  will  grow  on 
any  soil,  but  is  best  suited  to  sandy  loam. 

I  have  a  pasture  of  6  acres  on  clay  soil,  two-thirds  of  which  is  set  in  Bermuda,  and 
from  March  to  December  I  keep  upon  it  from  10  to  12  calves,  7  to  10  hogs,  several 
ponies,  and  now  and  then  from  '.]  to  5  steers  and  heifers  in  addition.  It  is  the  best 
pasture  plant  I  know  of.  Land  sot  in  Bermuda  for  pasture  should  be  thoroughly 
plowed,  harrowed,  and  rolled  once  in  rive  years.  An  ordinary  yield  of  hay  is  1^  tons 
per  acre  in  a  season.  Bermuda  is  very  difficult  to  subdue,  but  eau  be  destroyed  by 
close  cultivation  during  several  years. 

E.  Taylor,  Pope's  Ferry,  Ga. :      / 

Nothing  kills  it  except  severe  freezing.  It  is  the  best  of  all  grasses,  and  thrives  on 
any  soil,  but  best  on  clay.  It  furnishes  good  pasture  from  May  until  the  middle  of 
November.  For  winter  grazing  Bur  Clover  is  taking  its  place.  The  yield  of  hay  is 
about  2  tons  per  acre.  It  will  reclaim  the  poorest  lands,  and  is  not  very  difficult  to 
subdue.     It  ripens  seeds  in  this  State  sparingly. 

R.  J.  Bedding,  Atlanta,  Ga. : 

Introduced  here  from  Bermuda  more  than  fifty  years  ago.  Many  fields  in  Middle 
Georgia  are  overruu  with  it.  It  was  long  considered  a  troublesome  grass,  because  of 
its  spreading  propensity  and  the  difficulty  of  eradicating  it ;  but  farmers  are  now 
learning  to  appreciate  its  value.  It  will  root  out  most  other  grasses  (not  Japan  clover, 
however).  It  is  the  best  summer  grass  we  have ;  is  half  hardy  against  cold,  but  makes 
no  growth  in  winter,  the  surface  and  underground  stems  remaining  alive  and  putting 
out  in  March.  It  is  liable  to  be  killed  out  in  the  extreme  northern  part  of  Georgia  by 
very  hard  freezes.  It  never  produces  seed  in  this  State,  or  only  occasionally  a  head, 
but  does  well  from  imported  seed. 

J.  B.  Wade,  Edgewood,  De  Kalb  County,  Northern  Georgia : 

This  is  about  the  most  northern  limit  at  wbich  Bermuda  Grass  grows  in  this  State. 
It  is  beginning  to  be  highly  appreciated  both  for  grazing  and  for  hay.  It  stands 
drought  well,  keeping  green  from  May  until  November.  It  makes  good  hay,  and  can 
be  cut  two  or  three  times  a  year,  producing  on  an  average  2-1  tons  of  hay  per  acre. 
While  this  is  the  most  northern  limit  of  Bermuda  Grass,  it  is  also  the  most  southern 
limit  of  Blue  Grass.  The  two  growing  together  on  the  same  land  produce  a  most  per- 
fect pasture,  as  the  Blue  Grass  is  green  nearly  all  the  fall,  winter,  and  spring  months, 
while  during  the  heat  of  summer,  which  prevents  the  growth  of  the  Blue  Grass,  the 
Bermuda  flourishes.  The  two  together  in  good  strong  soil  make  a  perfect  jiasture, 
good  all  the  year  round. 


28 
Mrs.  J.  A.  Blanchard,  Umatilla,  Orange  County,  Central  Florida: 

Bermuda  Grass  makes  a  permanent  pasture  after  it  is  once  rooted.  A  close  sod 
can  be  made  in  two  or  three  months  for  yard  or  lawn  by  setting  plants  10  or  12  inclies 
apart  each  way  in  the  spring.  It  boars  the  lawn-mower  well,  growing  under  repeated 
cuttings  like  a  piece  of  green  plush.  It  requires  constaut  care,  however,  to  keep  its 
roots  from  growing  outside  of  its  appointed  bounds,  and  it  is  injurious  if  growu 
where  trees  or  shrubs  are  cultivated. 

James  0.  Neal.  M.D.,  Archer,  Alachua  County,  ^orthom  Florida: 

It  is  about  the  only  lawn  grass  we  have,  but  is  easily  killed  by  heat  in  piue  or  sandy 
lands,  and  the  leaves  are  killed  by  cold  anywhere.  It  is  best  growu  on  clay  lands, 
but  unless  fertilized  it  grows  slowly  and  is  of  little  value. 

J.  M.  McBryde,  professor  of  Botany,  Agricultural  and  Mechanical 
College,  Columbia,  S.  C: 

Bermuda  Grass  has  been  known  here  from  the  beginning  of  the  century.  It  is 
widely  distributed,  and  is  being  more  and  more  cultivated.  It  covers  barren  fields 
and  hillsides,  does  well  in  all  soils,  and  grows  luxuriantly  iu  dry  weather.  On  allu- 
vial soils  it  affords  heavy  yields  of  excellent  hay,  producing  4  tons  during  the  season 
at  two  or  three  cuttings.  On  high  lands  it  grows  short,  but  furnishes  good  jmsturage. 
It  is  reported  to  ripen  seed  in  Southern  Georgia.  I  have  tested  this  seed  in  wet  sand, 
blotting  paper,  sprouting  apparatus,  etc.,  and  found  its  vitality  very  low,  not  10  per 
cent,  germinating.     Hence  I  believe  the  seeds  to  mature  imperfectly  in  our  section. 

Daniel  Griswold,  Westminster,  Los  Angeles  County,  California  : 

Bermuda  Grass  ripens  seed  here,  but  I  would  not  undertake  to  gather  it  for  $5  a 
pound.  It  does  not  grow  more  than  3  or  (3  inches  high.  It  has  three  prongs  on  the 
top.  with  >ix  or  eight  very  small  seeds  on  a  prong,  and  the  seeds  fall  before  you  hardly 
know  they  are  ripe.  We  propagate  it  by  dividing  the  roots.  It  is  not  much  raised 
here  :   would  do  better  where  it  rains  in  summer. 

W.  A.  Sanders,  Sanders,  Fresno  County,  Central  California: 

Bermuda  Grass  is  excellent,  but  usually  not  very  productive.  It  is  good  for  ponds 
that  dry  up  in  autumn,  where  it  leaves  a  massive  growth  for  feed. 

Prof.  Marcus  E.  Jones,  Salt  Lake  City,  L^tah: 

It  is  cultivated  here  to  a  small  extent,  and  withstands  cold,  but  not  our  droughts 
yery  well.     It  prefers  loam,  but  will  grow  in  sandy  soil. 

Prof.  S.  M.  Tracy,  Agricultural  College,  Columbia,  Mo. : 

It  has  been  in  cultivation  near  Saint  Louis,  in  one  locality  only,  for  many  years. 
It  barely  survives  the  winter  aud  would  doubtless  be  destroyed  by  pasturing.  I  have 
noticed  it  very  carefully  about  Xew  Orleans,  where  it  is  by  far  the  most  valuable  per- 
manent pasture  grass,  and  is  thoroughly  naturalized  if  not  a  native.  It  is  almost  the 
only  grass  growu  there  for  winter  pasture  or  for  lawns.  It  stands  drought  well  and 
grows  anywhere  except  on  very  wet  grouud.  It  can  be  subdued  by  one  year  of  thor- 
ough cultivation. 

Prof.  W.  J.  Beal,  Agricultural  College,  Michigan : 

It  more  than  holds  its  own  here,  but  starts  very  late.  It  is  i>ossibly  worth  au  ex- 
tended trial. 

Prof.  J.  B.  Killebrew,  in  •'•  The  Grasses  of  Tennessee,"  says  : 

Occasionally  the  traveler  meets  with  patches  of  Bermuda  Grass  in  the  cotton  fields 
of  the  South,  where  it  is  carefully  avoided  by  the  planter,  any  disturbance  giving 
new  start  to  its  vigorous  roots.  Some  ditch  around  it,  others  inclose  it  and  let  shrub- 
bery do  the   work  of  destruction.     It  forms  a   sward  so  tough   that  it  is  almost  im- 


29 

possible  for  a  plow  to  pass  through  it.  It  will  throw  ils  runners  over  a,  roek  six  feet 
across  and  hide  it  from  view,  or  it  will  run  down  the  sides  of  the  deepest  gully  and 
stop  its  washing.  It  does  not,  however,  endure  shade,  and  in  order  to  obtain  a  good 
stand,  the  weeds  must  be  mown  from  it  the  first  year.  It  would  be  a  good  grass  to 
mix  with  Blue  Grass,  as  when  it  disappears  in  winter  the  Blue  Grass  and  White  01over 
would  spring  up  to  keep  the  ground  in  a  constant  state  of  verdue.  This  experiment 
has  been  tried  with  eminent  success.  It  grows  luxuriant  ly  on  the  top  of  Lookout 
Mountain,  having  been  set  there  many  years  ago.  This  mountain  is  2/200  feet  high, 
and  has,  of  course,  excessively  cold  winters. 

Mr.  Affleck,  in  a  letter  published  in  the  work  above  mentioned, 
says  : 

The  time  is  not  far  distant  when  all  the  rough  feed  consumed  on  plantations  will 
be  made  of  this  grass,  and  when  the  planter  will  consider  his  hay  crop  of  more  im- 
portance thau  his  sugar  or  cotton.  No  other  grass  will  yield  such  an  amount  of 
valuable  hay,  surpass  it  in  nutritious  qualities,  or  support  on  an  acre  of  pasture  su<  h 
an  amount  of  stock.  Its  extirpation,  however,  when  once  established,  is  almost  im- 
possble,  though  to  check  or  weaken  it  so  far  as  to  grow  a  grain  or  cotton  crop  is  (  asy 
enough.  To  do  this,  pursue  the  course1  of  the  best  farmers  of  Kentucky  in  their 
management  of  Blue-grass  sod:  With  a  good  breaking  plow,  having  a  wheel  and 
coulter,  and  a  stout  team,  turn  over  eveuly  aud  nicely  a  sod  4  inches  thick  and  as 
wide  as  the  plow  and  horses  are  capable  of,  following  in  the  same  furrow  with  an 
other  plow,  which  casts  the  dirt  well,  and  throws  out  as  much  of  the  fresh  earth  on 
top  of  the  sod  as  possble,  or  the  depth  of  the  soil  will  admit.  The  crop  that  follows  can 
be  easily  tended  without  disturbing  the  sod,  the  gradual  decay  of  which  will  greatly 
benefit  the  crop.  The  crop  should  he  a  shadiug  one  if  possible,  such  as  corn,  or  peas, 
or  pumpkius,  or  wilder  oats  followed  by  peas.  To  the  careful,  judicious  farmer,  who 
wishes  to  improve  his  land  and  his  stock,' and  who  does  not  expect  to  grow  anything 
without  trouble,  aud  who  uses  good  plows  aud  keeps  a  stout  team,  and  that  in  piime 
order,  we  earnestly  recommend  to  try  an  acre  of  this  grass  in  a  situation  where  it 
cannot  readily  spread.     To  the  careless  farmer  we  say,  touch  it  not. 

In  addition,  the  following  brief  points  are  given  from  various  replies, 
showing  the  appreciation  in  which  this  grass  is  held.  The  State  is  in- 
serted when  material  to  the  evidence: 

"Not  wanted"  (California);  "  Not  good  for  calves;"  "Too  late  in 
spring"  (Texas);  "Best  on  sandy  bottoms"  (Mississippi);  "Killed  by 
shade;"  "Best  on  uplands"  (Arkansas);  "Seeds  here"  (California); 
"Only  effigies  of  seed"  (Georgia) ;  "  Best  grass  in  the  world  but  regarded 
as  a  curse"  (Alabama) ;  "Little  here  outside  of  towns  "  (Texas);  "Of 
no  use"  (Illinois);  "  Common  in  damp  places"  (California) ;  "Too  long 
to  get  a  start ;  "  "  Especially  good  for  sheep ;  "  "  Total  failure  "  (Kansas); 
"Tried  it,  but  failed,"  (New  Mexico);  "Our  only  summer  pasture" 
(Texas) ;  "  Our  greatest  blessing  "  (Louisiana) :  "  Our  seed  comes  from 
Cuba; "  "Prejudice  giving  way, "  "Growing  in  favor;"  "Don't  do  well" 
(California);  "Known  only  in  one  locality"  (Connecticut);  "A  humbug 
except  in  bottom  lands"  (Florida);  "Bed-clay  uplands  best"  (North 
Carolina) ;  "  Best  on  light  soils"  (Virginia) ;  "  Largely  cut  for  hay  on  the 
coast"  (Georgia) ;  "  Have  planted  400  acres  of  it "  (Louisiana) ;  "  Called 
wire-grass  ;  "  "  Stops  washes  ;  "  "  Our  best  pasture"  (Virginia) ;  "  The 
more  it  is  plowed  the  more  it  spreads." 


30 

Texas  Blue  Grass,  Poa  araclmifera,  PL  XL 

This  grass  was  first  described  by  Dr.  John  Torrey,  in  the  report  of 
Captain  Marcy's  exploration  of  the  Red  River  of  Louisiana,  as  having 
been  found  in  1852  on  the  headwaters  of  the  Trinity  in  Northern  Texas, 
and  named  Poa  araehnifera  from  the  profusion  of  webby  hairs  growing 
about  the  flowers.  This  feature  is  variable,  however,  probably  depend- 
ing somewhat  on  the  amount  of  shade  or  exposure  to  which  the  grass 
is  subject.  The  seeds,  besides  being  very  small,  are  especially  difficult 
to  sow  from  their  clinging  together  by  means  of  this  lint  or  covering  of 
webby  hairs.  There  has  been  considerable  complaint  of  the  failure  of 
the  seed  to  grow,  though  some  have  grown  it  successfully.  The  grass 
is  propagated  with  less  care  by  means  of  the  sets  or  fragments  of  the 
subterranean  stems,  and  so  long  as  the  seed  remains  at  its  present  high 
price  this  will  often  be  found  the  most  satisfactory  way  of  getting  a 
start.  The  time  and  methods  of  planting  the  seeds  and  sets  are  given 
in  the  subjoined  extracts  from  correspondents. 

Texas  Blue  Grass,  though  still  but  little  known,  promises  to  become 
the  best  winter  grass  throughout  the  South,  wherever  there  is  good  soil 
and  a  fair  degree  of  rainfall.  It  has  been  too  little  tried  at  the  North 
for  any  satisfactory  estimate  to  be  formed  of  its  value  there.  In  Kan- 
sas it  has  been  grown  successfully  for  several  years.  A  plat  of  it 
planted  on  the  grounds  of  the  Department  last  spring  has  stood  the 
winter  and  is  now  (March  1)  about  3  inches  high,  and  looking  as  well 
as  any  of  the  grasses  on  trial.  The  plat  was  grown  from  the  sets. 
Seeds  sown  at  the  same  time  failed  to  grow.  Small  quantities  of  the 
seed  will  be  sent  out  for  trial  this  season  from  the  Department.  Several 
parties  in  Texas  and  Alabama  have  seeds  and  sets  for  sale,  but  they 
have  not  yet  become  general  articles  of  trade. 

W.  C.  Lipscomb,  Crockett,  Tex.: 

Texas  Blue  Grass  is  cultivated  here  oo  a  limited  and  mostly  experimental  scale. 
It  has  proved  to  be  hardy,  and  to  stand  drought  exceptionally  well.  It  prefers  ele- 
vated, rich  sandy  soil.  The  only  obstacle  I  see  in  the  way  of  its  propagation  is  the 
difficulty  of  sowing  the  seeds,  which  cling  together,  owing  to  a  lint  surrounding  them. 
Auy  invention  or  process  overcoming  this  difficulty  would  be  of  great  value  to  us  in 
the  future. 

James  Perry,  Whitesborough,  Northeastern  Texas: 

It  seems  to  have  sprung  up  here  in  the  last  few  years  by  chance,  and  is  being  propa- 
gated as  fast  as  seed  can  be  found.  It  furnishes  good  early  grazing,  but  is  of  no  value 
after  July,  though  it  comes  from  the  root  again  when  the  fall  rains  set  in.  I  havo 
had  it  on  the  same  ground  for  ten  years.  It  is  about  as  easily  subdued  by  cultivation 
as  Kentucky  Blue  Grass. 

S.  W.  Weaver,  Simpson,  Shelby  County,  Eastern  Texas : 

I  have  had  four  years'  experience  with  the  Texas  Blue  Grass.  The  older  the  sod 
the  thicker  and  better  it  is.  Ifc  is  almost  worthless  until  about  the  fourth  year.  The 
people  are  taking  hold  of  it  here  in  good,  earnest. 


Plate  XI. 


POA  AKACHNIFERA. 


31 

George  II.  Sogan,  of  Ennis,  Tex.,  who  first  suggested  the  name 
Texas   nine  Grass,  gave  an  account  of  it  in  the  report  for  1881-'82, 

and  now  adds: 

Of  all  the  grasses  indigenous  to  our  country  the  Poa  arachnifera  stands  first  as  a 
winter  grass,  [have  been  trying  it  for  eleven  years,  and  each  year  am  more  con- 
vinced of  its  merits.     I  consider  it  better  than  Poa  pratensis  (Kentucky  Bine  Grass) 

for  any  locality. 

0.  B.  Richardson,  Henderson,  Busk  County,  Texas,  gives  an  account 
of  this  grass  in  the  Agricultural  Report  for  1881-82,  and  in  a  letter  to 
the  Commissioner,  December  23,  1885,  adds: 

The  seeds  are  very  light  and  troublesome  to  plant.  Plant  them  about  the  20th  of 
February,  as  you  would  beets  or  fine  garden  vegetable  seeds,  in  rows  about  20  inches 
apart,  and  keep  down  the  weeds  and  grass  the  iirst  summer.  The  next  fall  and  win- 
ter the  plants  will  meet  in  the  rows  and  occupy  the  whole  ground.  I  prefer,  how- 
ever, to  propagate  from  sets.  Plant  them  in  the  fall  or  any  time  up  to  February  20. 
First  plow  the  ground,  then  with  a  narrow  shovel  lay  off  the  rows  2.1  feet  apart,  and 
plant  the  sets  10  inches  apart  in  the  row,  as  you  do  cabbage  plants  or  sweet  potato 
slips.  The  seeds  blow  away  quickly  after  getting  ripe,  and  are  difficult  to  gather 
without  wasting.     They  have  to  be  stripped  from  the  sterns  by  hand. 

Prof.  E.  M.  Shelton,  Manhattan,  Kaus.,  in  the  Industrialist  of  Jan- 
uary 22,  1887: 

Texas  Blue  Grass,  in  color  and  leaf,  resembles  its  near  relative  Kentucky  Blue  Grass, 
but  is  of  greatly  more  robust  and  vigorous  habit.  Its  blades  are  much"  wider  and 
longer  than  those  of  Kentucky  Blue  Grass,  and  it  seems  to  possess  much  more  vitality. 
At  this  writing,  January  20,  when  all  of  our  other  varieties  of  tame  grasses  and  clovers 
are  perfectly  sere  and  lifeless,  Texas  Blue  Grass  is  full  of  green  shoots,  while  the  base 
of  nearly  every  blade  is  of  the  same  lively  color. 

Texas  Blue  Grass  has  other  qualities,  however,  which  make  it  especially  valuable  to 
Kansas.  I  am  contident  that  our  longest,  driest  and  hottest  summer  cannot  injure 
it,  and  the  fact  that  it  has  passed  uninjured  through  the  last  three  winters  is  a  suffi- 
cient answer  to  the  question  of  its  capacity  for  withstanding  cold  weather. 

Moreover,  this  grass  makes  nearly  or  quite  as  linn  and  consistent  a  scd  as  the  com- 
mon Blue  Grass,  from  which  its  suitableness  for  lawns  may  be  inferred. 

Herbert  Post,  Selma,  Ala.,  January,  1885 : 

This  remarkable  winter  grass,  while  it  has  been  known  for  many  years  in  Texas, 
has  only  been  propagated  here  for  two  or  three  years.  It  goes  to  seed  here  usually  by 
the  middle  of  April.  It  promises  to  become  as  valuable  for  winter  grazing  :>.s  Ken- 
tucky Blue  Grass  is  for  summer.  Its  roots  penetrate  four  or  live  times  as  deep  as  the 
Kentucky  Blue  Grass,  and  being  perennial,  when  once  established  it  lasts  indefinitely, 
but  can  be  as  readily  exterminated  as  any  grass. 

Dr.  Charles  Mohr,  Mobile,  Ala, : 

Within  the  last  two  years  this  grass  has  been  introduced  into  this  section,  and  cul- 
tivated by  a  few  farmers  on  a  small  scale.  It  has  proved  perfectly  hardy  during  t he- 
last  and  the  present  winter,  without  receiving  the  slightest  injury  by  frost,  keeping 
fresh  and  green,  and  continuing  its  growth  throughout  the  winter  season.  It  ripens 
its  seed  here  in  June,  after  which  the  stems  and  foliage  wither  and  dry  up.  From 
June  until  the  close  of  the  hot  months  of  summer  its  vegetation  slumbers.  With  the 
beginning  of  the  cooler  season,  the  roots  throw  out  new  shoots,  and  the  foliage  begins 
to  grow  vigorously.  The  period  of  rest  during  the  hottest  part  of  the  season  insures 
a  perfect  immunity  from  the  effects  of  drought.  The  plant  is  propagated  by  its 
stolons,  and  after  the  second  season  forms  a  perfectly  compact  turf.  It  seems  to  re- 
quire a  rich,  loamy,  somewhat  calcareous,  soil. 


32 

Carlos  Eeese,  sr.,  Marion,  Ala. : 

I  have  grown  Texas  Blue  Grass  for  six  years.  It  will  grow  on  any  fertile  soil  from 
sand  to  clay.  It  will  stand  the  greatest  drought  and  any  degree  of  told  without  in- 
jury. It  is  the  first  grass  I  have  had  that  I  could  recommend  as  a  winter  grass 
that  would  not  die  out  in  summer.  The  seed  should  be  planted  as  you  would  orchard 
or  Kentucky  Blue  Grass,  and  at  any  time  in  the  fall  or  spring  that  would  do  to  sow 
either  of  these  grasses.  From  early  fall  until  the  first  of  May  will  do  to  plant  the 
sets;  I  prefer,  however,  to  plant  both  seeds  and  sets  early  in  the  fall,  as  then  they 
have  fully  six  months  to  grow  and  get  ahead  of  other  vegetation. 

John  A.  Cobb,  in  Georgia  Farmer : 

Experiment  made  in  Georgia  and  Alabama  sho  w  that  it  is  well  adapted  to  this  sec- 
tion. December  1,  1834,  I  planted  Texas  Bine  Grass,  one  set  in  a  place,  8  inches  by  1 
foot,  on  a  strip  of  ground  12  by  100  feet.  May,  1885,  I  saved  seed  enough  from  it  to 
sow  1  acre.  The  grass  had  formed  a  mat  over  the  entire  space.  December,  1885,  I 
took  up  the  roots  from  all  except  a  piece  12  by  15  feet,  and  with  them  set  out  over  an 
acre.  In  May,  1886,  I  gathered  seed  enough  to  sow  between  15  and  20  acres.  The 
land  was  well  fertilized,  and  would  make  at  least  one  bale  of  cotton  per  acre.  On 
thinner  land  the  increase  of  course  would  be  slower.  The  seed  ripens  in  May,  and  as 
the  principal  growth  is  from  the  first  fall  rains  until  May,  the  seed  or  sets  should  be 
put  in  as  soou  after  September  1  as  possible. 

W.  P.  Home,  in  Florida  Agriculturist: 

Aft>r  giving  this  grass  a  fair  trial  for  two  years,  I  am  ready  to  say  that  Texas  Blue 
Grass  is  a  perfect  success  in  Baker  County  as  a  grass  for  grazing  purposes  in  the  win- 
ter months  ;  but  it  will  not  do  so  well  for  making  hay,  as  it  does  not  grow  tall  enough 
for  mowing.  I  have  a  lot  40  or  50  yards  square,  and  have  kept  two  calves  and  one 
colt  on  it  most  of  the  winter.  Whenever  they  have  eaten  it  down  I  have  taken 
them  out  for  a  few  days  and  then  turned  them  in  again.  They  have  eaten  it  down 
five  or  six  times  during  the  winter,  and  in  a  week's  time  it  has  grown  up  4  or  5  inches 
high.  It  does  not  grow  much  during  summer,  but  nothiug  will  choke  it  out  if  the 
land  is  rich,  and  in  the  fall  it  will  come  up  and  make  the  best  of  winter  pasture. 

Rescue  Grass,  Bromus  unioloiclcs,  PI.  XII. 

This  grass  has  also  been  known  as  Bromus  Schraderi,  Bromus  Will- 
denovii,  Ceratochloa  unioloides,  Festuca  unioloides,  Scbrader's  Brome 
Grass,  Australian  Oats,  Australian  Prairie  Grass,  &c. 

It  is  an  annual,  winter  grass,  native  of  North  and  South  America, 
and  better  known  in  Texas  than  any  other  part  of  the  United  States. 
It  was  early  introduced  into  Australia,  from  whence  it  has  been  brought 
to  England  and  the  United  States  under  the  name  of  Australian  oats 
and  Australian  prairie  grass.  It  is  closely  related  to  chess  {Bromus 
secalinus),  but  as  it  is  only  adapted  to  mild  climates,  where  it  makes  its 
growth  daring  the  cool  portion  of  the  year,  it  is  not  likely  to  become 
troublesome  in  grain.  It  produces  a  large  amount  of  foliage,  which 
though  not  of  the  best  quality,  is  eaten  readily  b}T  stock  in  the  absence 
of  other  green  feed.  If  sown  in  the  fall,  at  a  favorable  time  for  ger- 
mination, it  will  furnish  pasture  daring  winter  and  spring.  It  ripens 
its  seed  in  May  in  most  of  the  region  from  Texas  to  the  Carol inas.  It 
seems  to  withstand  drought  fairly  well,  but  escapes  the  worst  period  of 
slimmer  drought  by  ripening  early  in  the  season.     A  fall    or  winter 


Plate  XII. 


Bromus  unioloides. 


33 

drought,  however,  is  liable  to  prevent  the  seed  from  germinating.  The 
seed  is  sold  in  the  markets,  but  only  a  few  farmers  cultivate  it,  though 
it  is  generally  spoken  of  favorably  by  those  in  the  South  who  have 
tried  it. 

Leonard  A.  Iliel,  San  Antonio,  Texas: 

An  annual  self  seeding  grass,  that  is  spontaneous,  and  spreading  rapidly  in  tins  sec- 
tion, but  is  not  to  be  depended  on  as  a  winter  feed,  owing  to  the  uncertainty  of  our 
seasons.  Last  fall  and  the  fall  before  it  was  dry  here,  and  not  a  spear  of  this  grass  grew 
until  late  in  the  winter.  At  this  date,  January  14,  no  Rescue  Grass  lias  yet  appeared, 
but  as  soon  as  there  is  rain  it  will  spring  up  all  over  the  country  and  flourish  until 
May.  After  dropping  its  seed  it  disappears  until  the  fall  or  winter  rains  call  it  again 
into  life.  It  is  considered  quite  nutritious,  but  stock  are  not  very  fond  of  it,  as  it  is 
somewhat  bitter,  but  they  eat  it  for  the  lack  of  other  food.  It  is  a  persistent  seeder, 
and  will  flourish  in  the  densest  Bermuda  Grass  sod,  disappearing,  and  in  no  way  inter- 
fering, when  that  grass  begins  to  grow. 

William  F.  Gill,  Kerrville,  Kerr  County,  Central  Texas: 

It  is  a  native  here,  not  cultivated,  as  it  comes  without  cultivation.  It  is  hardy, 
and  being  a  winter  grass  is  not  affected  by  drought,  except  that  iu  a  dry  fall  it  does 
not  germinate.  It  will  grow  anywhere.  I  do  not  know  its  yield  of  hay,  but  about 
the  same  as  a  good  stand  of  oats.  It  does  not  interfere  with  cultivation.  It  is  an 
annual,  but  may  be  depended  on  to  reseed  itself.  I  have  seen  it  around  and  in  the 
corrals  at  my  ranch  form  a  seed-pod  when  there  would  be  only  a  blade  or  two  of 
grass,  and  the  dirt  would  have  to  be  scraped  away  to  see  the  seed-spike;  and  again, 
when  not  pastured  or  tramped  down,  I  have  seen  its  culms  two  feet  high. 

James  A.  Stevens,  Burnett,  Burnett  County,  Central  Texas : 

Grown  to  some  extent,  and  valued  as  a  good  spring  grass,  but  easily  killed  by 
drought.  It  is  also  used  for  ornamenting  yards.  Stock  delight  to  eat  it,  it  being  suc- 
culent and  tender.  It  grows  here  a  foot  or  more  high,  but  dies  out  on  the  approach 
of  summer. 

Henry  B.  Richards,  La  Grange,  Fayette  County,  Central  Texas : 

A  grass  called  by  this  name  comes  up  in  our  fields  and  pastures  in  November,  grows 
all  winter,  stools  out  like  oats,  and  where  not  pastured  after  March  ripens  its  seed  the 
last  of  April  or  the  first  of  May.  It  is  a  perfect  God-send  to  us  here  for  a  winter  and 
early  spring  pasture.  I  do  not  know  of  any  one  ever  having  gathered  the  seed  and 
attempted  its  cultivation. 

C.  W.  Dame,  Fort  Worth,  Tarrant  County,  Northern  Texas: 

Bromw  unioloides  is  regarded  very  favorably  as  a  spring  grass.  Soon  after  the  cold 
weather  disappears  a  dense  growth  of  it  covers  the  prairies  everywhere  within  a  mile 
or  two  of  the  city,  and  is  ready  for  grazing  before  any  other  grass.  It  dies  iu  May, 
and  it  is  said  that  if  the  season  be  favorable,  it  will  start  up  again  in  the  fall  and 
afford  grazing  during  the  winter.  Accordingto  my  experience  not  much  grass  retains 
its  verdure  here  during  the  cold  season.  The  growth  of  this  grass  is  confined  to  the 
vicinity  of  towns  and  old  settlements. 

Professor  Phares,  of  the  Mississippi  Agricultural  College,  says  of  this 
grass : 

It  is  an  annual  winter  grass,  but  varies  in  the  time  of  starting  into  growth.  I  have 
seen  it  ready  for  mowing  the  first  of  October  and  furnish  frequent  cuttings  until 
April.  Again,  it  may  not  start  until  January,  nor  be  ready  to  cut  until  February. 
The  time  of  starting  depends  upon  the  moisture  and  depression  of  temperature  of  the 
fall,  the  seeds  germinating  only  at  a  low  temperature.  When  once  started  its  growth 
20265— No.  3  --  -  3^ 


34 

after  the  successive  cuttings  or  grazings  is  very  rapid.  It  is  tender,  very  sweet,  and 
stock  eat  it  greedily.  It  produces  an  immense  quantity  of  leaves  and  makes  good 
hay.     On  loose  soil  some  of  it  may  he  pulled  up  by  animals  grazing  upon  it. 

J.  B.  Darthit,  Denver.  S.  C. : 

This  is  an  excellent  grass  for  an  early  spring  pasture,  coming  in  during  February 
and  lasting  until  May.  It  can  he  grazed  until  the  10th  or  15th  of  April,  and  will 
then  reseed  itself,  the  seed  ripening  in  May.  The  land  may  then  he  planted  in  any 
summer  crop,  and  the  next  spring  the  Rescue  Grass  will  be  there  again. 

Prof.  J.  M.  MeBryde,  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College,  Columbia, 

S.  C.  : 

Bromus  unioloides  is  widely  established  here,  growing  abundantly  along  roadsides 
and  fence-rows,  and  cultivated  to  some  extent.  It  is  remarkable  for  its  earliness.  I 
have  noticed  it  fully  headed  out  early  in  March.  It  matures  so  early  as  to  be  out  ol 
the  reach  of  droughts.  It  prefers  strong  soils  and  attains  only  a  moderate  growth  in 
our  sands.  It  is  valuable  for  early  pasture ;  no  yields  of  hay  are  reported.  Stock  do 
not  relish  it  when  old.     It  can  be  easily  subdued. 

M.  J.  Sutton,  of  England,  in  his  valuable  work  on  "Permanent  and 
Temporary  Pastures,"  says : 

It  is  not  strictly  perennial,  and  there  is  a  prejudice  against  it  because  of  the  harsh- 
ness of  its  foliage ;  still,  it  is  a  valuable  forage  plant.  From  the  sweetness  of  its  taste 
and  the  readiness  with  which  it  is  eaten  by  stock,  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  it  is 
highly  nutritious.  It  is  one  of  the  earliest  grasses  to  start  in  a  temporary  pasture 
and  I  strongly  urge  its  inclusion  in  mixtures  for  two  or  three  years'  lay,  which  are 
mainly  to  be  fed  off.  In  warm  moist  seasons,  especially,  its  usefulness  will  be  mani- 
fested. It  grows  so  strong  as  to  crowd  out  weeds.  It  feeds  on  the  surface  and  will 
thrive  on  the  thinnest  soil.     It  has  not  been  sufficiently  cultivated  in  England. 

Mr.  William  Saunders,  superintendent  of  the  gardens  and  grounds  of 
the  Department  of  Agriculture,  in  his  Report  for  18G9,  page  99,  said : 

This  plant  has  lately  been  brought  into  prominent  notice  on  the  continent  of  Europe 
and  in  Great  Britain  as  likely  to  supersede  the  Italian  Rye  Grass  for  soiling  and  for  irri- 
gated meadows.  Although  it  produces  a  great  amount  of  foliage  it  is  neither  so 
early  nor  so  tine  as  the  Rye  Grass.  The  seeds  are  nearly  as  large  as  oats  and  yield 
heavily,  but  the  ripeniug  of  the  seeds  entirely  stops  the  growth  until  the  stems  are 
cut.  Frequent  mowing  or  constant  grazing  is  necessary  to  reap  the  best  results  from 
this  species.     When  young  all  kinds  of  stock  eat  it  freely. 


OTHER  FORAGE  PJLANTS. 

Alfilaria,  Erodium  dcutarium,  PI.  XIII. 

This  annual,  supposed  to  have  been  introduced  from  Europe,  does 
not  seem  to  be  mentioned  in  any  work  *on  forage  plants.  It  occurs 
abundantly,  and  is  of  much  value  for  pasture,  over  a  large  extent  of 
territory  in  Northern  California  and  adjoining  regions.  Elsewhere  in 
the  United  States  it  is  sparingly  introduced  and  usually  regarded  only 
as  a  weed,  though  it  is  not  very  troublesome.  Besides  the  above  name 
it  is  known  as  Storksbill,  Pin-clover,  Pin-grass,  and  Filaree.  It  is 
neither  a  grass  nor  a  clover,  but  belongs  to  the  Geranium  family.    It 


Plate  XIII 


#& 


Erodium  cicutarium. 


35 

starts  very  early,  grows  rapidly,  furnishing  good  early  pasture,  and 
ripens  seed  before  the  hottest  weather.  It  is  of  little  value  as  bay,  and 
is  not  worth  introducing  where  the  ordinary  forage  plants  can  be  grown. 
The  seed  is  seldom  sown,  but  the  plant  comes  spontaneously  each  year 
from  self-sown  seed.  A  few  have  begun  its  artificial  propagation,  and 
it  is  undoubtedly  worthy  of  introduction  into  other  regions  in  the  South 
and  West  having  prolonged  droughts.  It  is  hardy  at  the  North,  but 
makes  a  much  smaller  growth  there. 
Brewer  and  Watson,  in  The  Botany  of  California,  say  in  regard  to  it : 

Very  common  throughout  the  State,  extending  to  British  Columbia,  New  Mexico, 
and  Mexico;  also  widely  distributed  in  South  America  and  the  Eastern  Continent. 
It  has  generally  been  considered  an  introduced  species,  but  it  is  more  decidedly  and 
widely  at  home  throughout  the  interior  than  any  other  introduced  plant,  and  accord- 
ing to  much  testimony  it  was  as  common  throughout  California  early  in  the  present 
century  as  now.  It  is  popularly  known  as  Alfilaria,  or  less  commonly  as  Phi-clover 
and  Pin-grass,  and  is  a  valuable  aud  nutritious  forage  plant,  reputed  to  impart  an  ex- 
cellent llavor  to  milk  and  butter. 

Prof.  E.  W.  Hilgard,  in  an  article  on  the  Agriculture  and  Soils  of  Cali- 
fornia, in  the  Report  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture  for  1878.  page 
488,  says : 

Two  species  of  Cranes'-bill  (Erodium  cicutarium&nd  moschatum)  are  even  more  com- 
mon here  than  in  Southern  Europe,  and  the  first  named  is  esteemed  as  one  of  the  most 
important  natural  pasture  plants,  being  about  the  only  green  thing  available  to  stock 
throughout  the  dry  season,  and  eagerly  cropped  by  them  at  all  times.  Its  Spanish 
name  of  Alfilerilla  (signifying  apin,  and  now  frequently  translated  into  "  pin-weed") 
shows  that  it  is  an  old  ciizen,  even  if  possibly  a  naturalized  one. 

Otanes  F.  Wright,  Temescal,  San  Bernardino  County,  California : 

Alfilaria  grows  plentifully  and  is  native  here.  It  is  the  best  grass  that  we  have 
during  the  wet  season  while  green,  but  does  not  amount  to  much  when  dry,  for 
it  shrinks  much  in  drying,  and  when  dry  breaks  easilj'  into  very  fine  bits,  almost  to 
dust. 

Alfilaria  and  Bur-clover  nearly  always  grow  together  on  the  same  land  ;  cold 
weather  never  kills  either  of  them.  Stock  pick  for  the  Alfilaria  while  growing  (from 
January  to  June);  but  after  it  dies  they  hunt  for  the  clover  burs  which  are  on  the 
ground,  and  in  their  efforts  to  get  the  burs  they  roll  the  old  dry  stems  into  rolls  some- 
times as  big  as  winrows  of  hay. 

Bur-clover  and  Filaria  (Alfilaria)  grow  on  high  land,  aud  die  when  dry  weather 
comes.     I  do  not  know  but  they  might  be  kept  green  all  the  year  if  kept  wet. 

They  are  about  the  only  plants  which  grow  on  the  high  land  that  stock  will  eat. 
Our  need  is  a  grass  that  will  grow  on  the  high  land  all  the  year  as  Alfalfa  does  on 
the  low  lands.  As  nine-tenths  of  our  land  is  dry  land,  you  can  see  the  extent  of  our 
needs. 

Daniel  Griswold,  Westminster,  Los  Angeles  County,  California : 

I  think  Alfilaria  would  be  a  good  thing  to  raise  in  the  Southern  States,  but  it  will 
be  a  rather  hard  seed  to  gather,  though  not  so  hard  as  Bermuda  grass.  It  produces  a 
small-jointed  seed,  with  a  beard  or  curl  attached.  Butte  or  Colusa  County  would  bo 
the  best  place  to  obtain  the  seed.  The  plant  is  native  here.  It  is  never  cultivated, 
but  comes  up  of  itself  whenever  there  is  rain  enough.  It  grows  everywhere  (except 
in  swamps),  in  damp  laud,  on  the  driest  land,  and  on  the  tops  of  hills  up  to  the  snow- 
line. 


&6 

It  lias  a  root  that  runs  straight  downward,  and  it  has  to  bo  very  dry  to  prevent  it 
making  seed.  On  damp  rich  land  it  grows  large  enough  to  make  a  good  swath  of  hay. 
On  poor  or  dry  land  it  is  small  and  dries  up,  but  even  in  its  dry  state  stock  eat  it  clean 
and  are  very  fond  of  it. 

C.  R.  Orcutt,  San  Diego,  Cal. : 

Er odium  cicutarium  and  Erodium  moschatum  (about  equally  used),  grow  abundantly 
in  Southern  California  and  through  Northern  Lower  California,  sometimes  attaining 
a  height  of  2  feet  or  more.  They  grow  on  dry  lands,  but  only  iu  wet  years,  or  where 
there  is  abundant  rainfall  do  they  attain  any  size. 

O.  F.  Thornton,  Phoenix,  Maricopa  County,  Arizona: 

It  is  not  cultivated,  but  is  rapidly  spreading  on  the  dry  ranges  (i.  e.,  valleys  aud 
mountain  sides),  and  is  one  of  the  very  best  wild  grasses  either  green  or  dry. 

J.  G.  Tiffany,  San  Marcial,  Socorro  County,  New  Mexico  : 

There  is  very  little  in  this  county  ;  what  there  is  here  has  been  brought  in  the  woal 
of  sheep  from  California.  It  grows  well  on  uplands  or  low,  and  is  spreading  rapidly. 
It  is  excellent  feed — one  of  the  very  best.  I  am  trying  to  get  a  large  quantity  of  the 
seed  to  sow  on  my  ranges.  Can  you  inform  me  how  it  may  be  obtained?  I  would 
scatter  it  in  localities  over  20,000  acres  if  I  could  get  the  seed  at  a  reasonable  cost. 

Dr.  A.  Gattinger,  Nashville,  Tenn. : 

It  is  not  known  here,  but  I  have  seen  it  in  Germany.  It  is  a  vile  weed,  and  ought 
not  to  be  introduced  into  cultivation.  I  cannot  understand  how  such  a  thing  can  be 
seriously  spoken  of  when  so  many  really  good  native  plants  arc  totaXy  ignored. 

Alfalfa,  Medicago  sativa,  PL  XIV. 

This  plant  is  called  Lucerne,  Medick,  Spanish  Trefoil,  French  Clover 
Brazilian  Clover,  and  Chilian  Clover.  It  is  not  a  true  Clover,  though 
belonging  to  the  same  natural  family  as  the  clovers.  Alfalfa,  the  name 
by  which  it  is  commonly  known  in  this  country,  is  the  Spanish  name, 
which  came  into  use  here  from  the  fact  that  the  plant  was  introduced 
into  cultivation  in  California  from  South  America  under  the  name  of  Al- 
falfa or  Brazilian  Clover.  The  plant  had  previously  been  introduced 
into  the  Eastern,  and  Southern  States,  but  attracted  little  attention 
until  its  remarkable  success  in  California.  In  Europe  it  is  generally 
known  as  Lucerne,  probably  from  the  canton  of  Lucerne,  in  Switzer- 
land, where  it  was  largely  cultivated  at  an  early  day.  It  has  been 
known  in  cultivation  from  very  ancient  times,  aud  was  introduced  from 
Western  Asia  into  Greece  about  500  B.  C.  It  is  now  largely  grown  in 
Southern  France,  and  to  a  considerable  extent  in  other  parts  of  Europe. 
It  has  been  introduced  into  several  of  the  countries  of  South  America, 
and  on  the  pampas  of  Buenos  Ayres  it  has  escaped  from  cultivation  and 
grows  extensively  in  a  wild  state.  Though  known  for  a  long  time  in 
the  United  States,  Alfalfa  is  not  yet  cultivated  to  the  extent  that  it 
should  be. 

In  the  Southern  States  east  of  the  Mississippi  it  is  especially  desir- 
able that  its  merits  should  be  better  known.  The  climate  of  that  sec- 
tion is  nearly  as  favorable  to  its  growth  as  that  of  Southern  California, 
but  much  of  its  soil  less  suitable,  hence  reports  from  different  localities 
vary  somewhat  as  to  its  value. 


Plate  XIV. 


®  Mf* 


iw^-  m. 


Medicago  SATIVa. 


37 

CLIMATE. 

Alfalfa  is  less  hardy  than  red  clover  and  is  adapted  to  a  milder  cli- 
mate; still  it  has  stood  the  winters  safely  as  far  north  as  Vermont,  New 
York,  and  Michigan,  though  farther  west,  where  less  protected  by  snow, 
it  winter-kills  more  or  less  even  as  far  south  as  Texas.  The  young 
plants  are  very  susceptible  to  frost,  and  the  mature  plants,  if  not  killed 
by  the  cold  winters  of  the  Northern  States,  are  so  weakened  that  they 
endure  there  for  a  much  shorter  period  than  in  milder  climates.  A  cold 
of  25  degrees  is  said  to  kill  the  tops,  but  in  the  Southern  States  the  plant 
quickly  recovers  from  the  effect  of  frost  and  grows  most  of  the  winter. 
In  the  Northern  States,  even  where  it  endures  the  winter,  the  yield  is 
so  much  less  than  at  the  South,  that  it  has  little  or  no  advantage  over 
the  common  red  clover.  Farther  south,  however,  even  where  both  may 
be  grown,  Alfalfa  is  often  preferred,  not  only  for  its  larger  yield,  but 
also  for  its  perennial  character.  Alfalfa  is  especially  adapted  to  dry 
climates,  and  withstands  drought  much  better  than  the  ordinary  clovers. 

SOIL. 

Although  Alfalfa  improves  the  fertility  of  the  soil  it  must  have  a  rich 
soil  to  start  with,  and  it  therefore  is  of  little  value  as  a  renovator  of 
worn-out  lands.  It  prefers  sandy  soils,  if  fertile.  The  failure  on  sandy 
soils  in  the  East  and  South  has  been  mainly  due  to  the  lack  of  fertility 
to  give  the  young  plants  a  good  start  and  enable  them  to  become  deeply 
rooted  before  the  advent  of  drought.  On  this  account  it  usually  thrives 
best  on  rich  bottom  lands.  Lands  that  are  tenacious  and  hold  water 
are  not  adapted  to  its  culture  unless  well  drained.  Most  of  the  lands 
in  the  West  upon  which  it  is  grown  successfully  have  a  permeable  sub- 
soil.   When  the  soil  permits,  its  roots  penetrate  to  a  great  depth. 

Oases  have  frequently  been  observed  of  their  reaching  a  depth  of  12 
or  15  feet,  and  depths  of  more  than  20  feet  have  been  reported.  Hence, 
after  the  plant  is  established,  the  character  of  the  subsoil  is  of  more 
importance  than  that  of  the  surface. 

CULTURE. 

Sow  at  any  time  that  the  ground  is  in  suitable  condition,  and  when 
there  will  be  time  for  the  plants  to  become  well  established  before  they 
are  subjected  either  to  drought  or  extreme  cold.  In  the  Northern  States 
the  month  of  May  will  be  about  the  right  time.  Farther  south,  in  the 
latitude  of  Northern  Mississippi,  September  is  probably  the  best  month, 
and  in  the  extreme  South,  or  in  the  warm  valleys  of  California,  any  time 
will  answer  from  fall  until  spring.  The  soil  should  be  thoroughly  pre- 
pared, and  the  seed  sown  at  the  rate  of  15  to  20  pounds  to  the  acre.  If 
sown  broadcast,  about  the  latter  quantity  will  be  required  ;  if  in  drills, 
the  former  amount  will  be  sufficient.  If  the  raising  of  seed  is  the  main 
object,  12  or  14  pounds  to  the  acre  will  give  the  best  results,  as  the  plants 


38 

will  be  more  vigorous  and  yield  more  seed,  though  they  will  be  coarser 
and  less  desirable  for  feed. 

Drill-culture  gives  the  best  results,  especially  if  the  soil  be  dry  or 
weedy.  The  drills  may  be  12  to  18  inches  apart,  according  to  the  tool 
to  be  employed  in  cultivation.  The  seed  if  sown  broadcast  may  be 
sown  alone  or  with  grain,  but  it  generally  gives  the  best  results  when 
sown  alone.  It  is  often  sown  with  oats  with  good  results,  but  in  a  wet 
season  it  is  liable  to  be  smothered  out  unless  the  grain  is  sown  quite 
thin.  After  the  first  year  the  harrow  may  be  employed  to  advantage, 
and  even  a  narrow  plow,  of  such  form  as  will  not  cut  the  roots  too  se- 
verely, is  sometimes  used  with  good  effect,  especially  where  the  planting 
is  in  rows.  In  all  cases  where  weeds  are  inclined  to  appear  it  is  desir- 
able to  give  some  kind  of  cultivation  every  year.  This  is  not  so  impor- 
tant where  the  plant  is  irrigated  as  elsewhere.  In  much  of  the  country 
reachiug  from  Texas  to  the  Pacific,  irrigation  is  only  essential  the  first 
year,  or  until  the  roots  have  penetrated  deeply  into  the  soil,  though  the 
crop  is  greatly  increased  by  an  abundant  supply  of  moisture  at  all  times 
In  parts  of  California  and  adjoining  States  Alfalfa  is  grown  only  by 
irrigation,  and  this  must  sometimes  be  resorted  to,  even  when  not  es- 
sential for  the  growth  of  the  crop,  in  order  to  kill  the  gophers,  which 
are  liable  to  destroy  the  plants,  by  eating  off  the  roots  a  few  inches 
below  the  surface.  Immediate  irrigation  will  also  prevent  many  of  the 
plants  so  eaten  off  from  dying. 

Alfalfa  should  be  neither  mowed  nor  pastured  until  it  has  made  a 
considerable  growth  and  becomes  well  established. 

HARVESTING,   FEEDING,   ETC. 

Alfalfa  is  perhaps  best  known  in  most  localities  as  a  soiling  plant. 
For  this  purpose  it  has  scarcely  a  superior.  It  may  be  cut  repeatedly 
during  the  season,  furnishing  a  large  amount  of  nutritious  forage,  which 
is  relished  by  all  kinds  of  stock.  It  is  said  to  be  less  liable  than  clover 
to  cause  slobbers  in  horses.  There  is  some  danger,  however,  especially 
to  cattle,  in  feeding  it  while  wet  or  very  succulent,  of  its  causing  bloat 
or  hoven.  On  this  account  it*  is  a  good  plan  to  feed  it  in  the  green  state 
in  connection  with  straw  or  hay,  or  to  let  it  lie  several  hours  to  become 
partially  wilted  before  being  fed. 

It  is  when  used  as  pasture  that  the  greatest  danger  occurs  iu  the  use 
of  Alfalfa.  Many  have  used  it  for  years,  both  for  soiling  and  as  pas- 
ture, without  any  injurious  results,  but  numerous  instances  have  been 
reported  where  cattle  have  bloated  and  died  from  eating  too  freely  of 
it  when  succulent  or  wet.  In  some  instances  cattle  have  been  kept 
upon  it  from  the  time  it  started  in  spring  until  June  or  July,  with  no 
evil  results,  and  then,  when  the  growth  has  become  very  rank,  or  been 
wet  with  dew  or  rain,  they  have  been  takeu  with  bloat.  The  danger  is 
greater,  as  is  well  known,  when  cattle  are  suddenly  turned  into  a  rank 
growth  and  allowed  to  eat  all  they  will.    If  cattle  are  hungry,  or  have 


39 

not  been  accustomed  to  green  food,  they  should  not  be  allowed  in  such 
a  pasture  more  than  half  or  three  quarters  of  an  hour.  In  the  dry 
regions  of  the  West  there  is  less  danger  in  the  use  of  Alfalfa  for  pas- 
ture than  elsewhere,  and  it  is  largely  used  there  for  that  purpose,  espe- 
cially in  the  fall  after  a  crop  or  two  of  hay  has  been  cut.  There  is  con- 
siderable danger,  however,  of  the  plant  becoming  killed  out  by  close  or 
continued  pasturing,  as  it  does  not  stand  grazing  as  well  as  the  ordi- 
nary grasses  and  clovers.  For  hay,  the  cutting  should  be  done  as  soon 
as  the  blossoms  appear,  otherwise  it  becomes  hard  and  woody.  Con- 
siderable care  is  required  to  cure  it  properly,  and  prevent  the  loss  ol 
the  leaves  in  drying.  The  yield  is  so  large,  and  the  plant  so  succulent 
at  the  time  that  it  must  be  cut,  that  unless  there  is  good  weather,  it  is 
difficult  to  cure;  on  this  account  it  is  used  less  for  hay,  except  in  dry 
climates,  than  it  otherwise  would  be.  The  increase  in  the  cultivation 
of  Alfalfa  has  created  a  good  demand  for  the  seed,  which  has  thus  be- 
come one  of  the  most  important  items  of  profit  in  its  cultivation.  For 
cleaning  the  seeds,  F.  C.  Clark,  of  Alila,  Tulare  County,  California, 
says : 

In  this  part  of  the  State,  the  ordinary  grain  thrasher  is  used.  Some  extra  screens 
are  used,  and  a  few  changes  made  in  the  arrangement  of  the  cylinder  and  concave 
teeth.  It  is  the  opinion  of  some  of  the  experienced  Alfalfa  thrashers,  that  a  machine 
combining  the  hulling  process,  and  some  of  the  machinery  of  the  ordinary  thrasher 
would  do  hetter  work. 

The  seed  is  usually  taken  from  the  second  crop,  and  the  yield  is  greater 
than  that  from  red  clover,  frequently  amounting  to  10  or  more  bushels 
per  acre. 

The  following  reports  are  given  from  persons  who  have  grown  Alfalfa 
iu  various  parts  of  the  country. 

J.  K.  Page,  professor  of  agriculture,  &c,  University  of  Virginia: 

I  have  cultivated  Alfalfa  for  forty  years,  hoth  in  the  Tidewater  and  Piedmont  re- 
gions of  Virginia,  and  I  regard  it  as  the  most  valuable  forage  plant  the  farmer  can 
cultivate  for  soiling.  It  is  ready  to  be  mowed  by  the  first  of  May,  and  may  he  cut 
three  or  four  times  during  the  season.  Grazing  kills  it  out.  It  should  be  top-dressed 
with  manure  every  fall,  and  plastered  in  the  spring  and  after  every  mowing. 

Thomas  S.  Stadden,  Clarke  County,  Virginia : 

Alfalfa  is  grown  here  to  a  limited  extent.  It  does  well  iu  favorable  localities,  hut 
is  hard  to  get  set.     It  lasts  four  to  six  years. 

H.  C.  Parrot,  Kinston,  N.  C: 

Alfalfa  is  adapted  to  rich,  open  soils  in  all  the  Southern  States.  It  is  excellent  feed 
either  green  or  cured.  It  should  be  sown  in  drills  18  inches  apart  and  cultivated  the 
first  year.  After  it  is  well  rooted,  it  will  stand  drought  well,  and  crowd  everything 
else  out.     It  will  last  from  eight  to  sixteen  years,  according  to  soil  and  location. 

J.  G.  Kuapp,  United  States  State  statistical  agent,  Limona,  Southern 
Florida : 

Many  persons  in  Florida  have  experimented  with  this  plant,  so  valuable  in  other 
regions,  hut  nearly  all  have  failed.  Sometimes  a  plant  which  has  come  up  in  the  fall 
and  survived  the  winter  has  bloomed,  but  no  roots  have  lived  through  the  wet  warm 
months  of  summer.  I  remember  that  in  New  Mexico,  whenever  it  was  desirable  to  de- 
stroy the  Alfalfa,  in  order  to  plow  the  ground,  the  surface  was  covered  with  water 


40 

daily  for  two  weeks  during  the  heal  of  Bummer.  The  Tinted  States  consul  at  Lam- 
bayeque,  Peru,  states  (United  States  Agricultural  Report,  1877,  p.  544)  that  it  will 
not  bear  wat.-r,  ;m  abundant  irrigation  or  inundation  causing  speedy  death  to^he 
plant.     The  result  in  this  country  has  been  the  same.    Alfalfa  has  invariably  perished 

during  the  rainy  months.     All  the  clovers  are  affected  the  same  way. 

Mr.  Knapp  incloses  a  letter  from  Dr.  B.  J.  Taliaferro,  of  Maitlaud, 
OraDge  County,  the  only  person  in  bis  knowledge  who  has  been  sue- 
eessful  in  growing-  Alfalfa  in  that  region.     Dr.  Taliaferro  says: 

There  is  no  doubt  but  that  Alfalfa  can  be  successfully  grown  in  South  Florida. 
My  old  patch  is  now  twelve  months  old,  and  has  been  cut  five  times.  I  am  so  well 
pleased  with  it  that  I  have  just  put  in  live  acres  more.  The  great  difficulty  is  getting 
a  good  stand.  If  the  ground  is  not  just  right  the  seed  will  fail.  I  have  failed  several 
times  by  sowing  when  the  sun  was  too  hot  or  not  hot  enough,  or  wheu  the  land  was 
not  sufficiently  moist.  From  my  short  experience  I  think  September  is  the  best  month 
in  which  to  plant.  If  we  plant  early  in  the  spring  or  summer  it  is  almost  impossible 
to  keep  the  crab-grass  from  taking  it.  I  sow  in  drills  1G  or  18  inches  apart,  and  wait 
for  a  warm  moist  day  for  sowing.  The  plant  is  very  delicate  at  first,  and  must  be 
kept  clean  from  grass  and  weeds.  I  shall  try  a  small  piece  broadcast  this  fall,  but 
doubt  whether  ir  will  prove  a  success,  as  crab-grass  is  its  greatest  enemy  in  my  por- 
tion of  Florida.  The  piece  I  have  growing  is  on  high  dry  pine  laud,  such  as  would 
be  suitable  for  orange  growing.  Alfalfa,  haying  a  very  long  tap-root,  would  not  do 
on  low  land.  It  is  very  necessary  to  prepare  the  land  thoroughly.  My  plan  is  as 
follows:  After  getting  the  land  clean  of  all  stumps,  rubbish,  &c,  I  plow  it  deeply 
with  a  two-horse  turning-plow,  then  harrow  and  hand-rake.  Early  in  spring  I  put 
on  a  light  dressing  of  cotton-seed  meal,  and  sow  down  in  cow-peas  broadcast,  and 
when  the  vines  are  in  full  bearing  I  turn  them  under  with  a  three-horse  plow,  and  as 
soon  thereafter  as  possible  harrow  deeply,  and  broadcast  again  with  some  good  fer- 
tilizer (I  prefer  cotton-seed  meal,  bone  meal,  and  potash),  harrowing  it  in  well  with 
a  spring-tooth  harrow.  It  would  be  well  to  repeat  the  harrowing  as  often  as  possible 
before  sowing.  About  the  first  or  middle  of  September  hand-rake  perfectly  smooth, 
and  put  in  the  seed  with  a  seed-drill,  about  six  pounds  per  acre.  Keep  clean  of 
weeds  and  crab-grass,  and  cut  when  in  bloom.  A  top-dressing  of  land  plaster  after 
the  first  cutting  will  prove  very  beneficial.  I  have  experimented  with  a  number  of 
forage  plants,  but  failed  with  all  except  Millo  maize  until  I  tried  Alfalfa. 

J.  S.  Newman,  director  Experiment  Station,  Auburn,  Ala. : 

I  have  had  it  fourteen  years  in  profitable  growth  from  one  seeding,  and  have  seen 
it  in  Gordon  County,  Georgia,  twenty-five  years  old,  and  still  in  vigorous  and  profit- 
able growth.  If  used  for  hay,  it  must  be  cut  before  it  blossoms,  or  the  stems  become 
too  woody.  Like  other  leguminous  plants  it  requires  especial  care  in  curing,  to  pre- 
vent the  loss  of  its  leaves.  It  may  be  cut  from  three  to  five  times  in  one  season,  ac- 
cording to  the  frequency  of  rains.  It  is  a  mistake  to  s  uppoge  that  becauseof  its 
long  tap  root  it  is  not  seriously  affected  by  drought.  It  thrives  well  upon  all  classes 
of  lauds,  if  fertile  and  well  drained. 

Clarke  Lewis,  Cliftonville,  Miss. : 

It  grows  readily  in  this  State  on  poor  sandy  soil,  but  best  on  sandy  loam.  It  will 
bear  cutting  year  after  year  without  new  seeding,  if  not  too  heavily  grazed.  As  a 
permaneut  soiling  plant  it  has  no  superior.  It  must  be  cut  early,  when  first  coming 
into  blossom  ;  if  cut  later  it  becomes  woody  and  makes  poor  hay.  Its  introduction 
has  been  confined  to  a  few  localities. 

Prof.  James  Troop,  La  Fayette,  Ind. : 

It  is  naturalized  here,  but  little  cultivated.  It  is  perfectly  hardy  on  our  black 
sandy  loam,  but  yields  no  more  than  timothy  or  clover.  It  will  not  last  here  more 
than  three  or  four  years. 


41 

Leonard  A.  Heil,  of  the  Texas  Live  Stock  Journal,  San  Antonio, 
Tex. : 

Alfalfa  has  been  successfully  raised  in  this  Locality  only  by  irrigation,  which  is 
practicable  to  but  a  limited  extent .  There  are  t  hose  who  claim  t  hat  it  can  be  success- 
fully grown  with  only  the  oatural  rains,  luit  after  careful  investigation  I  seriously 
doubt  its  practicability. 

James  Perry,  Whifcesborougb,  Northeastern  Texas: 

Alfalfa  is  a  fair  success  in  our  black  waxy  soil,  and  can  be  cut  twice  a  year,  yield- 
ing one  to  three  tons  at  a  cutting.  Broadcast  sowing  is  the  usual  method, and  seems 
to  be  sufficient  on  clean  land,  it  stands  the  drought  well  and  the  freezeof  ordinary 
winters.  Three  years  ago,  however,  1  had  seven  acres  badly  killed  by  "spewing  up" 
in  winter,  but  the  scattering  plants  that  remained  are  doing  well. 

C.  A.  Graves,  Fiskville,  Central  Texas : 

It  is  cultivated  here  only  to  a  small  extent.  It  dies  out  in  spots,  just  as  cotton, 
sweet  potatoes,  and  some  other  vegetables  do,  and  apparently  for  the  same  unknown 
reason.  In  some  localities,  the  spots  where  it  dies  out  cover  one-fourth  of  the  ground. 
The  uncertainty  of  moisture  on  and  near  the  surface  for  any  length  of  time,  owing 
to  hot  sims  and  drying  winds,  makes  the  catch  from  all  seeds  that  germinate  near 
the  surface  uncertain. 

Dr.  E.  T.  Stiles,  Austin,  Tex. : 

Alfalfa  is  not  permanent  here.  For  two  or  three  years  it  will  produce  good  crops, 
and  then  it  begins  to  die  out  in  circular  patches.  The  spots  increase  in  size  until  in 
a  year  or  two  they  become  continent.  Cotton  plants  sometimes  die  in  the  same  way, 
and  apple-trees  put  into  such  soil  are  subject  to  a  sudden  blight.  I  have  never  known 
Alfalfa  to  be  killed  by  either  cold  or  drought,  but  its  growth  is  very  slight  in  very 
dry  soil.  In  Green  County  it  is  grown  quite  successfully  under  irrigation,  but  it  dies 
in  some  localities  there  the  same  as  here. 

J.  E.  Willett,  Farmington,  Northwestern  New  Mexico: 

Alfalfa  grows  finely  here,  and  yields  so  enormously  that  we  want  nothing  better. 
We  cut  it  four  times  during  the  season,  obtaining  a  ton  and  a  half  of  hay  at  each 
cutting.  We  raise  nothing  here  except  by  irrigation.  As  soon  as  the  crop  is  taken 
off  we  turn  on  the  water  in  many  places  at  once  and  Hood  the  land  for  several  days, 
for  Alfalfa  requires  an  abundance  of  water,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  land 
which  is  low  and  wet  will  not  answer.  It  flourishes  on  rock  uplands  that  are  very 
poor,  but  must  have  plenty  of  water  at  the  right  time.  The  soil  is  filled  with  large, 
long  roots,  reaching  as  deep  as  20  feet. 

George  H.  Jones,  Naranjos,  Northwestern  New  Mexico : 

It  grows  well  without  irrigation  after  the  second  or  third  year  on  any  ordinary  soil, 
and  yields  very  satisfactory  results  where  properly  put  in.  I  know  one  piece  which 
has  stood  eight  years  and  still  yields  well. 

A.  L.  Siler,  Bancli,  Utah  : 

I  know  Lucerne  patches  that  have  stood  for  twenty-four  years,  and  they  are  as 
productive  as  when  first  planted.  It  docs  well  with  irrigation  on  any  porous  soil, 
yielding  4  to  6  tons  per  acre.     Without  irrigation,  it  would  produce  nothing. 

William  Leanian,  Cannonsville,  Utah  : 

Lucerne  does  very  well  in  this  mountain  country,  where  there  is  very  little  rain, 
and  produces  from  2  to  2|  tons  per  acre,  and  makes  from  three  to  four  crops  per  year. 
But  I  am  well  satisfied  that  it  will  not  stand  much  wet  weather,  as  excessive  water- 
ing kills  it  here,  and  water  running  over  it  in  the  winter  and  forming  ice  over  it 
kills  it. 


42 
Prof.  A.  B.  Blount,  Fort  Collins,  Colo.: 

Our  soil  is  mostly  Bandy  loam  and  clay  loam,  gray,  and  to  all  appearance*  very 
poor.  It  is  dry.  hard,  and  destitute  of  black  soil,  except  in  low  marshy  places  and 
on  the  streams.  On  this  soil,  which  has  never  been  leached  or  deprived  of  its  fertility 
by  moisture,  we  sow  Alfalfa  at  the  rate  of  20  pounds  to  the  acre.  If  kept  well  irri- 
gated two  crops  can  be  taken  the  same  season  that  the  seed  is  sown,  yielding  as  high 
as  3  or  4  tons  per  acre.  The  second  season,  if  a  good  stand  was  secured,  three  cut- 
tings are  made,  yielding  as  high,  in  some  localities,  as  7  tons.  Our  largest  yields 
come  from  those  farms  where  water  is  applied  immediately  after  each  cutting. 
Among  the  best  farmers  4  tons  to  the  acre  is  a  very  small  average.  I  have  known  9 
tons  to  be  taken  from  an  acre  where  the  most  careful  attention  was  given.  When 
once  rooted  it  is  next  to  impossible  to  eradicate  or  kill  the  plant.  One  man  plowed 
up  a  piece  and  sowed  it  to  oats,  and  after  having  thrashed  out  42  bushels  of  oats  per 
acre,  he  cut  3  tons  of  Alfalfa  hay  per  acre  from  the  same  land.  Some  have  raised 
wheat,  corn,  and  potatoes  with  excellent  success,  after  turning  under  a  crop  of  Alfalfa, 
without  in  any  way  interfering  with  the  stand  of  the  latter  the  next  year. 

S.  Pelton,  Dickinson,  Dak. : 

I  have  been  writing  for  three  years  to  awaken  the  farmers  of  the  Northwest  to  the 
necessity  of  cultivating  grasses  and  forage  plants,  especially  Alfalfa,  and  have  suc- 
ceeded. The  amount  of  evidence  which  I  get  through  the  Northwestern  papers  of 
the  success  of  Alfalfa  in  Dakota  and  Montana  is  abundant,  and  several  report  success 
in  Minnesota  and  Wisconsin.  One  writer  in  Wisconsin  reports  four  crops  a  year;  one 
from  Brainerd,  Minn.,  reports  success,  as  do  several  others  from  that  State.  The 
Cow  Boy,  published  at  Medora.  40  miles  west  of  us,  reports  success  in  ten  different 
trials  in  that  section,  and  no  failures,  and  says  that  the  Alfalfa  was  thrifty  all  last 
season,  when  every  other  plant  and  grass  was  dried  up. 

It  stands  our  season  and  will  undoubtedly  thrive  from  Texas  to  Manitoba  on  sandy 
loam  and  moderately  mellow  soils,  that  are  dry  and  have  permeable  subsoils.  Our 
seasons  are  long  enough,  so  that  after  the  plant  is  three  years  old  it  will  give  three 
good  crops  of  hay,  and  then  furnish  pasture  from  September  1  until  winter. 

F.  W.  Sweetser,  Winneinncca,  Xev.: 

Alfalfa  is  cultivated  quite  extensively  in  several  parts  of  the  State.  It  does  best 
in  a  dark  loam.  It  is  hardy  and  yields  with  irrigation  about  5  tons  per  acre.  One 
season  without  irrigation  will  kill  it. 

O.  F.  Wright,  Temescal,  San  Bernardino  County,  Southern  California: 

Alfalfa  is  cut  from  one  to  six  times  per  year.  The  yield  when  good  is  as  follows; 
First  cutting,  2  tons  of  not  very  good  hay:  second  cutting,  3  tons  of  good  hay  ;  third 
cutting.  24  tons  of  good  hay :  fourth  cutting,  24  tons  of  good  hay;  fifth  cutting,  1 
ton  of  good  hay.  If  the  land  is  very  dry.  there  may  be  but  one  cutting,  the  roots 
living,  but  the  tops  apparently  dead.     If  it  is  very  dry  the  roots  die  also. 

Pasturing  in  the  latter  part  of  summer  does  not  injure  it  much,  but  in  winter  and 
spring,  when  annual  plants  are  growing,  it  soon  kills  it.  A  good  stand  canuot  be 
obtained  without  mowing,  for  worthless  weeds  would  otherwise  choke  it  out.  The 
plants  increase  in  strength  for  three  years. 

E.  G.  Jadson,  Lugonia,  San  Bernardino  County,  California : 

Alfalfa  is  fairly  hardy,  but  it  cannot  stand  extreme  cold.  On  dry  lands  it  cannot 
be  grown  without  irrigation.  It  can  be  subdued  by  repeated  plowings,  or  keeping 
away  water. 

William  Schultz,  Anaheim,  Los  Angeles  Comity,  California : 

Alfalfa  fails  without  irrigation  on  account  of  the  gophers,  which  eat  off  the  roots  a 
few  inches  below  the  surface.     It  is  one  of  the  best  forage  plants  we  have. 


43 

William  0.  Cusick,  Union,  Oreg.: 

Alfalfa  is  not  extensively  grown  in  this  locality.  Jt  is  hardy  onlyai  the  lowesl  ;il- 
titndes,  or  where  snow  falls  deeply.     It  prefers  dry  sandy  soils  that  can  be  irrigated — 

on  such   lands  yielding  3  to    1  tons   per  acre.     Without  irrigation    it  is  hardly  worth 
cutting.     This  applies  to  the  portion  of  the  State  east  of  the  Cascade  Mountains. 

A  few  extracts  from  various  agricultural  papers  and  other  publica- 
tions are  here  inserted. 

Southern  Live  Stock  Journal : 

The  value  of  Alfalfa  in  California  is  inestimable.  The  plant  is  eminently  adapted 
to  the  soil  and  climate  of  that  State.  It  is  wonderfully  productive.  It  is  grown  with 
success  in  Colorado  and  some  of  the  Territories,  and  now  and  then  an  isolated  report 
comes  up  from  the  great  State  of  Texas  that  it  is  fulfilling  the  highest  hopes  of  those 
who  have  given  it  their  attention.  Here  and  there  from  the  Carolinas,  Georgia, 
Florida,  Mississippi,  Alabama,  and  Louisiana,  come  favorable  reports,  but  these  in- 
stances are  few  and  far  between.  The  fact  is  Alfalfa  has  never  yet  had  a  fair  trial  in 
Southern  agriculture.  Our  people,  as  a  people,  have  never  appreciated  its  value  as 
a  worthy  addition  to  Southern  grasses  and  forage  plants. 

The  failures  that  have  been  made  with  this  plant  in  the  South  are  doubtless  due 
to  the  fact  that  (1)  the  weeds  were  allowed  to  choke  it  out  the  first  year,  or  the  stock 
to  graze  it  too  closely  and  bite  off  the  crowns  of  the  plants  before  the  roots  were 
iirinly  established ;  (2)  the  land  was  not  rich  enough ;  it  requires  very  rich  land ; 
(3)  that  the  land  was  not  suitable  to  its  growth,  or  that  it  held  too  much  water  and 
ought  to  have  been  underdrained. 

Tulare  County  (California)  Kegister  : 

Alfalfa  is  the  foundation  of  prosperity  in  Tulare  County.  It  begins  to  yield  the 
very  year  it  is  sown,  and  increases  its  yield  many  years  afterward.  It  will  grow 
where  nothing  else  will,  and  sends  its  roots  deep  down  into  the  moist  strata  which 
underlie  the  top  soil  all  over  the  county.  Alfalfa  not  only  furnishes  food  for  horses, 
cattle,  and  sheep,  but  hogs  and  poultry  thrive  upon  it  as  upon  nothing  else  until  fat- 
tening time  comes,  when  a  little  Egyptiau  or  Indian  corn  must  be  fed  to  make  the 
llesh  solid.  In  Tulare,  Alfalfa  yields  from  C  to  10  tons  of  hay  per  acre  each  summer, 
besides  supplying  good  pasturage  the  rest  of  the  season  ;  when  it  goes  to  seed  it  often 
\  ields  a  return  of  .^40  to  §60  per  acre  in  seed  alone,  besides  yielding  nearly  as  valuable 
a  hay  crop  as  when  not  permitted  to  go  to  seed.  Upon  Alfalfa  and  stock,  Tulare  is 
building  a  great  and  assured  prosperity. 

George  Tyng,  in  Florida  Dispatch  : 

Sow  in  any  month  when  the  ground  is  moist,  and  at  least  four  to  six  weeks  before 
heavy  frost  or  before  the  season  of  heat  and  drought.  Less  seed  will  be  required  if 
it  is  soaked  before  sowing.  Put  the  seed  into  any  convenient  vessel  and  cover  with 
water,  not  boiling,  but  too  hot  to  be  comfortable  to  the  hand,  and  keep  in  a  warm 
place  for  eighteen  to  twenty-four  hours  until  the  seeds  swell  enough  to  partially  rup- 
ture their  dark  hulls.  When  the  seeds  are  ready  for  sowing,  drain  off  all  the  water 
through  a  sieve  or  bag  and  dry  the  seeds  with  cotton-seed  meal,  land  plaster,  or  other 
material,  increasing  the  bulk  to  a  bushel  and  a  half  or  two  bushels  for  every  20  pounds. 
If  the  ground  be  dry  cultivate  just  before  sowing,  and  sow  in  the  afternoon.  Cover 
as  soon  as  possible,  and  guard  against  covering  too  deeply.  The  best  convenient  thing 
for  this  purpose  is  a  light  drag  made  of  the  bushy  branches  of  trees." 

Prof.  E.  W.  Hilgard,  in  the  Keportof  the  Department  of  Agriculture 
for  1878,  page  490,  says : 

Undoubtedly  the  most  valuable  result  of  the  search  after  forage  crops  adapted  to 
the  California  climate  is  the  introduction  of  the  culture  of  Alfalfa ;  this  being  the 
name  commonly  applied  to  the  variety  of  Lucerne  that  was  introduced  into  Califor- 


44 

nia  from  Chili  early  in  her  history,  differing  from  the  European  plant  merely  in  that 
it  has  a  tendency  to  taller  growth  and  deeper  roots.  The  latter  habit,  doubtless  ac- 
quired in  the  dry  climate  of  Chili,  is  of  course  especially  valuable  in  California,  asit 
enables  the  plant  to  stand  a  drought  so  protracted  as  to  kill  out  even  more  resistant 
plants  than  red  clover.  As  a  substitute  for  the  latter  it  is  difficult  to  overestimate 
the  importance  of  Alfalfa  to  Californian  agriculture,  which  will  be  more  and  more 
recognized  as  a  Regular  system  of  rotation  becomes  a  part  of  the  general  practice. 
At  first  Alfalfa  was  used  almost  exclusively  for  pasture  and  green-soiling  purposes, 
but  during  the  last  three  or  four  years  Alfalfa  hay  has  become  a  regular  article  in  the 
general  market,  occasional  objection  to  its  use  being  the  result  of  waut  of  practice  in 
curing.  On  the  irrigated  lands  of  Kern,  Fresno,  and  Tulare  Counties,  three  and  even 
four  cuts  of  forage,  aggregating  to  something  like  12  to  14  tons  of  hay  per  acre,  have 
frequently  been  made.  As  the  most  available  green  forage  during  summer,  Alfalfa 
haa  become  an  invaluable  adjunct  to  all  dairy  and  stock  farming  wherever  the  soil 
can,  during  the  dry  season,  supply  any  moisture  within  2  or  3  feet  of  the  turface. 

Peter  Henderson,  in  an  article  on  Alfalfa  in  the  Beport  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture  for  1884.  page  5G7,  says: 

Mr.  William  Crozier,  of  Northport,  L.  L,  one  oHhe  best-known  faimcrs  and  stock 
breeders  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York,  says  he  has  long  considered  Alfalfa  one  of  the 
best  forage  crops.  He  uses  it  always  to  feed  his  milch  cows  and  breeding  ewes,  par- 
ticularly in  preparing  them  for  exhibition  at  fairs,  where  he  is  known  to  be  a  most 
successful  competitor;  and  he  always  takes  along  sufficient  Alfalfa  hay  to  feed  them 
on  while  there.  Mr.  Crozier's  system  of  culture  is  broadcast,  and  he  uses  some  15 
or  10  pounds  of  seed  to  the  acre,  but  his  land  is  unusually  clear,  and  in  a  high 
state  of  cultivation,  which  enables  him  to  adopt  the  broadcast  plan ;  but  on  average 
land  it  will  be  found  that  the  plan  of  sowing  in  drills  would  be  the  best.  Mr.  Cro- 
zier's crop  the  second  year  averages  18  tons  green  to  the  acre,  and  about  6  tons  when 
dried  as  hay.  For  his  section,  the  latitude  of  New  York,  he  finds  that  the  best  date 
of  sowing  is  the  first  week  in  May ;  a  good  cutting  can  then  be  had  in  September. 
The  next  season  a  full  crop  is  obtained  when  it  is  cut,  if  green,  three  or  four  times. 
If  to  be  used  for  hay  it  is  cut  in  the  condition  of  ordinary  red  clover,  in  blossom;  it 
then  makes  after  that  two  green  crops  if  cut ;  sometimes  the  last  one,  instead  of  be- 
ing cut,  is  fed  on  the  ground  by  sheep  or  cattle. 

Bur  Clover,  Medicago  denticulata. 

This  is  a  native  of  the  Mediterranean  region,  which  has  become  nat- 
uralized in  most  warm  countries.  It  was  early  introduced  into  Cali- 
fornia and  has  become  widely  distributed  in  that  State,  where  it  is  con- 
sidered of  great  value.  It  is  not  of  first  quality  either  as  pasture  or  hay, 
but  coming  at  a  time  of  year  when  other  feed  is  scarce,  and  often  grow- 
ing where  little  else  will,  it  is  eaten  by  all  kinds  of  stock.  The  pods  or 
burs  are  especially  sought  after  in  the  dry  condition,  as  they  remain 
good  until  spoiled  by  rains.  Although  this  plant  does  not  withstand 
drought  as  well  as  many  others,  it  is  enabled  to  grow  on  dry  soils  in 
climates  having  prolonged  droughts  from  its  making  its  growth  during 
the  rainy  season.  Sown  early  in  autumn,  in  the  sections  to  which  it  is 
adapted,  it  grows  during  the  winter  and  ripens  the  following  spring  or 
early  summer.  It  has  been  introduced  from  California  into  the  South- 
ern States,  where  it  is  generally  highly  regarded  by  those  who  have  tried 
it?  both  for  grazing  and  as  a  renovator  of  the  soil.    Being  an  annual, 


45 

and  ripening  early,  other  crops  may  be  grown  on  the  .same  land  during 
the  summer  without  interfering  witb  the  next  growth  of  theclover.    The 

clover  is  usually  allowed  to  reseed  itself.  But  little  of  the  seed  is  sold 
in  the  market,  and  it  is  usually  sown  by  farmers  without  being  cleared 
from  the  bars  or  pods.  One  serious  objection  to  the  plant  is  the  liability 
of  the  burs  to  infest  the  wool  of  sheep. 

There  is  another  species  called  Spotted  Medick  (Medicago  rnaculata) 
which  is  often  confused  with  this,  and  is  probably  the  more  common  east 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  but  the  two  are  much  alike  and  of  about  the 
same  agricultural  value. 

Only  Medicago  denticulata  is  mentioned  by  Professor  Watson  in  his 
Botany  of  California  as  being  found  in  that  State. 

J.  W.  Alesworth,  Slack  Canyon,  Monterey  County,  California : 

On  the  coast,  where  the  climate  is  moist,  Bar  Clover  makes  a  rank  growth  and  is 
considered  good  feed  late  in  the  season.  My  place  being  40  miles  from  the  coast  and 
1,410  feet  in  altitude  it  only  grows  here  to  a  limited  extent,  though  it  is  gradually 
extending.  When  I  came  to  this  place  in  1870  there  was  none  here.  Bur  Clover  is 
good  rich  feed,  hut  is  not  sought  after  by  stock  until  the  other  clovers  and  alfilaria  are 
gone. 

Daniel  Griswold,  Westminster,  Los  Angeles  County,  California : 

It  is  grown  in  all  the  lower  valleys  of  the  southern  counties  of  California  wherever 
the  land  is^not  very  salty,  but  scarcely  any  is  found  in  the  high  valleys.  It  grows 
large  and  falls  down  and  curls  around  so  that  it  is  very  difficult  to  mow,  but  all  stock 
eat  it  on  the  ground,  green  or  dry.  The  seed  is  never  saved,  though  it  is  produced 
abundantly. 

O.  F.  Wright,  Temescal,  San  Bernardino  County,  California: 

It  grows  here  abundantly  on  high  lands  with  alfilaria.  These  are  the  only  plants 
on  such  lauds  that  cattle  will  eat.  They  are  never  killed  by  cold  here,  but  die  when 
dry  weather  comes.  Stock  pick  on  the  Bur  Clover  while  growing  (from  January  to 
June),  and  after  it  dies  they  hunt  for  the  burs  which  are  on  the  ground,  and  in  their 
efforts  to  get  them  they  roll  the  old  dry  stems  into  rolls,  often  as  big  as  winrows  of 
hay. 

S.  H.  McGinnes,  Belmont,  Tex.: 

The  California  Bur  Clover  does  well  here,  making  good  hay  and  pasture.  It  conies 
up  in  October  and  ripens  in  May.  It  takes  but  very  few  bunches  to  produce  a  bnsbel 
of  seed  (burs),  and  it  only  has  to  be  planted  once.  Horses  and  hogs  do  well  upon  the 
burs  after  they  ripen  and  fall  off. 

Edwin  C.  Keed,  Meridian,  Miss. : 

Bur  Clover  has  been  grown  here  to  a  limited  extent,  and  a  few  who  have  grown 
it  twelve  or  fifteen  years  rind  it  all  that  could  be  desired  for  winter  and  spring  pas- 
ture. All  stock  eat  it  freely  when  they  acquire  a  taste  for  it.  and  sheep  and  hogs  eat 
the  burs  left  on  the  ground.  The  plant  reseeds  itself,  but  the  ground  should  be 
plowed  and  harrowed  in  August  to  secure  an  early  winter  pasture.  It  matures  the 
first  of  June,  after  which  peas  may  be  broadcasted  on  the  same  land,  when  it  will 
require  no  fall  plowing.  On  rich  lands  it  sometimes  seeds  in  Bermuda  beds,  affording 
both  winter  and  summer  grazing.  I  have  grown  vines  6£  feet  long,  hip  high,  and 
as  thick  as  it  could  stand.  I  prize  it  above  ail  other  winter  pastures.  It  is  admirably 
adapted  to  the  Eocene  formation,  where  red  clover  does  not  succeed,  and  it  is  far  bet- 
ter if  it  did,  as  Bur  Clover  is  a  winter  plant. 


46 

J.S.  Newman,  director  Experiment  Station,  Agricultural  and  Mechan- 
ical College,  Auburn,  Ala.: 

First  introduced  into  tho  cotton  States,  as  far  as  I  know,  by  the  late  Bishop  George 
Pierce,  from  California,  about  18(37,  and  planted  at  his  home  in  Hancock  County, 
Georgia.     It  has  since  become  quite  popular  in  some  localities. 

Desmodium. 

Desinodium  is  a  genus  belonging  to  the  same  family  as  the  pea  and 
clover,  and  like  them  is  rich  in  nutritious  material.  There  are  about 
forty  species  native  in  the  United  States,  many  of  them  hard  and  woody, 
but  several  of  them  furnishing  valuable  woods  pasture  to  wild  and  do- 
mestic animals.  They  are  often  called  beggar-tick,  beggar-lice,  beggar- 
weed,  or  tick-seed,  from  the  tendency  of  the  seed-pods  to  cling  to  the 
clothing  of  persons  or  the  hair  of  animals.  The  same  or  similar  names 
however,  are  applied  to  other  plants. 

The  species  of  perhaps  the  most  importance  is  Desmodium  tortuosum, 
which  is  confined  to  Florida  or  the  vicinity  of  the  Gulf  coast.  Seeds  of 
this  species  were  distributed  by  the  Department  of  Agriculture  in  1879 
under  the  name  of  Desmodium  molle,  and  a  number  of  favorable  reports 
have  been  received  from  those  who  have  tried  it  in  the  southern  portion 
of  the  Gulf  States.  It  is  valued  most  as  a  renovating  crop  for  lands 
where  clover  cannot  be  successfully  grown.  It  is  also  ol  considerable 
value  as  pasture,  and  has  sometimes  been  used  for  hay. 

J.  G.  Knapp,  Limona,  Fla.: 

Few  forage  plants  bear  a  better  reputation  here  than  Desmodium  molle  {tortuosum), 
commonly  known  as  beggar-weed.  Horses  prefer  it  to  any  other  growing  plant.  It 
comes  as  a  volunteer  in  fields  planted  with  other  crops.  When  the'stalks  are  30  or  40 
inches  high  it  may  be  cut  for  hay,  and  as  many  as  2  tons  secured  from  an  acre.  The 
stubble  will  put  forth  new  shoots  and  mature  sufficient  seed  to  restock  the  field.  It 
wTill  thrive  on  the  poorest  sandy  soil,  and  in  a  few  years,  if  turned  under  when  ma- 
tured, will  render  them  rich  and  productive. 

J.  C.  Neal.  Archer,  Fla.: 

It  is  especially  valuable  to  Florida,  as  it  enriches  tho  soil  beyond  any  other  crop 
and  is  not  in  the  way  of  the  corn  crop,  germinating  after  corn  is  laid  by.  Cattle  and 
horses  fatten  on  this  plant  rapidly ;  in  fact,  nothing  is  better  to  restore  health  and 
vigor  to  a  worn-out  beast  than  a  few  weeks  in  a  beggar-weed  patch.  It  isof  no  value 
for  hay  or  winter  forage. 

J.  A.  Stockford,  Oaryville,  Fla. : 

It  is  at  home  in  Middle  Florida,  and  is  being  introduced  in  Western  Florida  by  some 
enterprising  farmers  who  have  had  a  chance  to  test  its  value  in  Middle  Florida  white 
farming  there.  Those  who  have  condemned  it  have  usually  done  so  without  appar- 
ent reason. 

D.  S.  Denmark,  Quitman,  Brooks  County,  Georgia: 

We  have  a  plant  hero  known  as  beggar-weed  that  grows  on  cultivated  lauds,  and 
when  once  seeded  always  seeds  itself.  It  is  a  fine  summer  and  fall  forage  plant;  also 
fine  for  hay,  aud  for  renovating  worn-out  lands,  but  difficult  to  exterminate.  It 
grows  only  in  South  Georgia  aud  in  Florida. 


Plate  XV. 


Lespedeza  striata. 


47 

W.  B.  McDaniel,  Faceville,  (la. : 

Beggar-t>ck  or  beggar-lice  grows  well  in  the  southwestern  part  of  Georgia,  is  an 
excellent  plant  for  forage,  both  green  and  cured,  and  is  splendid  as  a  fertilizer,  build- 
ing up  land  very  rapidly.  From  the  first  of  July  it  will  entirely  cover  the  ground 
the  same  season. 

R.  J.  Bedding,  Atlanta,  Ga. : 

Introduced  from  Florida,  and  cultivated  in  Southern  Georgia  for  hay  and  as  a 
renovator  of  the  soil,  especially  the  latter.  It  is  not  hardy  against  cold,  and  is  not 
grown  in  Middle  and  Northern  Georgia. 

L.  W.  Gentry,  Anderson  Court  House,  S.  C. : 

The  Desmodium,  which  grows  hero  spontaneously  (probably  not  tor tuosum),  is  a 
deep  and  tough  rooted  plant,  hard  to  kill  by  cultivation,  eagerly  devoured  by  live 
stock,  growing  on  any  soil,  but  not  cared  for  in  any  way.  I  have  seen  it  on  rich, 
moist  laud  C  to  7  feet  high,  but  not  thick  enough  to  pay  for  harvesting.  The  roots 
are  so  tough  that  the  plow  will  seldom  cut  them  unless  it  strikes  them  deep. 

J.  S.  Newman,  director  Experiment  Station,  Agricultural  and  Me- 
chanical College,  Auburn,  Ala. : 

Florida  beggar- weed  was  much  talked  of  some  tenor  twelve  years  ago,  as  the  com- 
ing forage  plant  and  soil-improver,  and  many  planters  experimented  with  it  only  to 
find  that  they  had  introduced  a  nuisance. 

Whitfield  Moore,  Woodland,  Red  River  County,  Texas  : 

That  which  I  cultivated  was  from  seeds  from  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  and 
appears  somewhat  different  from  the  native.  It  has  to  be  seeded  annually.  It  will 
not  stand  much  grazing,  but  is  a  good  fertilizer,  and  drought  seems  not  to  effect  its 
growth  in  the  least.  It  is  best  adapted  to  light  sandy  laud,  and  will  grow  a  heavy 
crop  from  4  to  6  feet  high  on  the  poorest  sandy  land  we  have,  and  in  the  driest  sea- 
sons. The  hay  is  very  sweet  and  nutritious,  and  all  stock  eat  it  more  greedily  than 
anything  else  I  have  ever  fed.  The  only  objection  to  it  is  the  trouble  of  saving  and 
cleaning  the  seed. 

Japan  Glover,  Lespedeza  striata,  PI.  XV. 

This  plant  was  introduced,  in  some  unknown  way,  over  forty  years 
ago  from  China  into  the  South  Atlantic  States.  It  was  little  noticed 
before  the  war,  but  during  the  war  it  extended  north  and  west  and  has 
since  spread  rapidly  over  abandoned  fields,  along  roadsides,  and  in  open 
woods,  and  now  furnishes  thousands  of  acres  of  excellent  grazing  in 
every  one  of  the  Gulf  States,  and  is  still  spreading  northward  in  Ken- 
tucky and  Virginia,  and  westward  in  Texas,  Indian  Territory,  and  Ar- 
kansas. It  is  an  annual,  and  furnishes  pasture  onty  during  summer 
and  until  killed  by  frost  in  the  fall.  The  small  purplish  blossoms  are 
produced  singly  iu  the  axils  between  the  leaf  and  stem,  and  the  seeds 
ripen,  a  few  at  a  time,  from  about  the  first  of  August  until  the  close  of 
the  season.  It  reproduces  itself  from  seed  on  the  same  ground  year 
after  year,  and  on  this  account  has  been  erroneously  called  a  perennial. 
It  will  growou  poor  soils,  either  sand  or  clay,  but  prefers  the  latter.  It 
is  better  adapted  to  poor  soils  than  Bermuda  Grass,  both  from  giving  a 
iribre  certain  and  perhaps  larger  yield,  and  from  being  more  useful  in 
restoring  their  fertility.    On  poor  upland  soils  it  is  seldom  cut  for  hay. 


48 

growing  only  from  0  inches  to  1  foot  in  height,  and  being  inclined  to 
spread  out  flat  upon  the  surface.  On  rich  bottom  lands  it  grows  thicker, 
taller,  and  more  upright,  and  is  largely  cut  for  hay.  ]t  has  been  sown 
artificially  only  to  a  limited  extent  as  yet,  but  seed  is  now  offered  in  the 
market,  and  its  cultivation  is  likely  to  be  considerably  extended,  espe- 
cially on  lands  too  dry  or  poor  for  Alfalfa  and  where  the  true  clovers  do 
not  succeed.  Japan  Clover  is  remarkable  for  holding  its  own  against 
other  plants.  It  will  run  out  broom  sedge  and  other  inferior  plants, 
and  even  Bermuda  in  some  localities.  It  does  not  withstand  drought 
as  well  as  either  Bermuda  or  Johnson  Grass,  but  soon  recovers  after 
a  rain.  The  young  plants  are  easily  killed  by  drought  or  frost,  and  for 
this  reason  a  good  catch  is  more  certain  on  an  unbroken  sod  than  on 
well-prepared  land.  Still  there  is  believed  to  be  less  difficulty  in  ob- 
taining a  catch  with  this  than  with  some  other  forage  plants.  A  good 
method  of  seeding  is  to  sow  in  March,  at  the  rate  of  one-half  bushel  per 
acre,  on  small  grain  sown  the  previous  autumn  or  winter. 

For  hay  it  should  be  cut  early,  before  it  becomes  woody.  It  is  cured 
in  the  same  manner  as  clover,  and  the  hay  is  apparently  relished  by  all 
kinds  of  stock.  There  is  some  complaint  that  sto  ck  do  not  at  first  eat 
it  readily  while  growing,  and  that  horses  and  mules  are  liable  to  be  sali- 
vated if  allowed  to  eat  it  freely  while  very  luxuriant.  In  both  these 
respects,  however,  it  probably  differs  little  from  the  ordinary  clovers. 
No  cases  have  been  reported  of  bloat  or  hoven  being  caused  by  it. 

E.  L.  Allen,  Browusville,  Haywood  County,  Tennessee  : 

Lespedeza  striata  (Japan  Clover)  grows  luxuriantly,  is  very  Lardy,  and  is  tbe  best  pas- 
ture we  have  in  summer.  It  is  especially  adapted  to  poor  upland,  covering  the  earth, 
eradicating  weeds  and  sedge  grass,  preventing  land  from  washing,  and  increasing  its 
fertility.  Ifc  grows  well  in  the  open  timber.  Our  special  need  has  been  a  grass  to 
withstand  the  heats  of  summer  and  afford  pastures  for  the  early  fall.  Japan  Clover 
has  met  this  requirement. 

H.  H.  Lovelace,  Como,  Henry  County,  Tennessee : 

Japan  Clover  made  its  appearance  here  three  or  four  years  ago,  and  now  occupies 
nearly  all  lauds  that  have  been  exhausted  and  turned  out,  growing  on  land  too  poor 
to  grow  any  other  plant.  In  fact,  it  will  grow  in  a  red  gully;  hence  it  is  the  best 
thing  to  prevent  washing  I  ever  saw,  besides  all  kinds  of  stock  are  fond  of  it,  and 
grow  fat  on  it. 

B.  D.  Baugh,  State  statistical  agent,  Carrollton,  Miss. : 

Japan  Clover  is  the  most  widespread  of  the  natural  forage  plants  of  this  State.  It 
grows  luxuriantly  on  any  kind  of  soil  except  light  prairie  ash  land.  It  is  easily  cured, 
makes  hay  of  excellent  quality,  and  furnishes  more  than  half  of  the  long  forage  of 
this  State.  It  grows  well  on  upland,  but  best  on  bottom  land  and  alluvial  soil, 
where  it  frequently  attains  a  height  of  'SO  inches.  If  intended  for  hay  it  should  be 
mowed  when  the  first  bloom  appears,  and  be  browsed  or  stacked  after  six  or  eight 
hours'  exposure  to  the  sun.  It  affords  good  pasture  from  tbe  first  of  May  until  killed 
by  frost,  about  the  middle  of  November. 

George  Echols,  Longview,  Gregg  County,  Northeastern  Texas : 

It  appeared  here  four  years  ago,  and  it  now  lias  possession  of  all  the  open  idle  laiifi. 
It  seeds  very  abundantly,  and  grows  so  deusely  that  it  forms  a  mat.  It  nourishes 
with  Bermuda  Grass,  so  that  the  hay  mowed  is  about  half  and  half. 


49 

Dr.  13.  11.  Broduax,  statistical  correspondent,  Brodnax,  Morehouse 
Parish,  Louisiana : 

Lespedeza  waslirst  noticed  here  about  1865.  It  is  supposed  to  have  been  introduced 
in  the  cavalry  bay  led  the  horses  of  the  Federal  cavalry,  which  occupied  this  parish 
for  a  short  time.  It  has  since  covered  nearly  the,  whole  parish.  It  is  not  cultivated, 
but  is  rapidly  rooting  out  nearly  every  other  grass  in  the  parish.  It  kills  out  bitter 
■weed  (dog  fennel),  Bermuda  Grass,  and  everything  else.  It  is  a  splendid  forage  crop, 
and  excellent  for  grazing  until  frost  destroys  it. 

Dr.  Charles  Mohr,  Mobile,  Ala. : 

Lespedeza  striata,  Japan  Clover — an  annual  plant,  which,  during  the  last  twenty 
years  has  spread  all  over  the  Gulf  States.  It  blooms  and  ripens  its  seeds  from  the 
early  summer  months  to  the  close  of  the  season,  and  grows  spoutaneously  in  exposed, 
more  or  less  damp,  places  of  a  somewhat  close  loamy  soil.  No  attempts  at  its  cultiva- 
tion have  been  made.  In  the  stronger  soil  of  the  lands  in  the  interior  this  plant,  pro- 
tected from  the  browsing  of  cattle,  grows  from  1£  to  2  feet  in  height,  and  yields  large 
crops  of  sweet  nutritious  hay,  the  same  plot  affording  a  cut  in  August  and  another  in 
October,  yielding  respectively  a  ton  and  a  half  and  one  ton  of  hay  to  the  acre.  The 
plant  is  perfectly  hardy,  and  is  not  known  to  have  been  killed  out  by  a  long  drought. 

It  is  easily  subdued  by  cultivation,  as  it  does  not  again  make  its  appearance  on  land 
where  it  has  been  plowed  in,  and  is  not  found  among  the  weeds  the  farmer  has  to 
contend  with  in  the  cultivation  of  his  crop.  It  is  a  perfect  pasture  plant,  easily  es- 
tablished and  standing  browsing  aud  tramping  by  cattle  well.  Its  propagation 
through  the  woods  and  pastures  is  effected  by  cattle — the  seeds  passing  through  the 
animals  with  their  vitality  unimpaired.  As  a  fertilizing  plant  it  is  greatly  inferior 
to  the  Mexican  clover. 

J.  B.  Wade,  Edgewood,  DeKalb  County,  Georgia  : 

It  is  said  by  the  old  residents  here  that  Japan  Clover  was  unknown  in  this  part  of 
the  country  until  "  after  the  war."  It  now  grows  spontaneously  on  most  of  the  land 
of  Middle  Georgia  that  has  a  red-clay  subsoil,  and  which  h;is  been  turned  out,  i.  e., 
is  not  plowed  or  cultivated  for  two  or  three  years.  It  grows  sufficiently  high  to  make 
hay,  but  as  it  springs  up  in  February,  or  even  earlier  should  there  come  a  warm  spell 
of  weather,  it  is  mostly  used  for  grazing,  as  it  lasts  from  February  to  November. 

J.  B.  Darthit,  Denver,  S.  C: 

It  does  not  stand  drought  as  well  as  Bermuda  ;  both  are  our  best  pasture  plants. 
For  cattle  we  have  nothing  better  than  Japan  Clover,  but  it  salivates  horses  and  mules 
after  the  1st  of  July,  especially  if  very  luxuriant. 

J.  W.  Walker,  of  Franklin,  X.  C,  in  a  letter  to  the  Blade  Farm,  says: 

Seventeen  years  ago  Japan  Clover  was  found  here  occupying  an  area  not  exceeding 
10  feet  squ  ire  ;  it  uow  covers  thousands  of  acres,  upon  which  all  kinds  of  stock  keep 
fat  and  sleek,  while  the  yield  in  milk  and  beef  products  has  increased  a  hundred  fold. 
Our  exhausted  and  turned-out  lands  that  have  hitherto  yielded  nothing  but  that 
worse  than  useless  broom-sedge  (Andropogon  scoparius),  now  have  in  its  stead  a  beauti- 
ful carpet  of  most  nutritious  verdure.  This  plant  grows  anywhere  and  on  any  kind  of 
soil,  rich  or  poor,  wet  or  dry,  high  or  low.  It  has  been  found  in  luxuriant  growth  on 
the  summit  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  at  a  height  of  4,000  feet.  It  will  catch  and  grow  luxu- 
riantly where  none  of  the  clovers  proper  will  grow  at  all ;  unlike  them  it  never  runs 
out. 

J.  B.  McGehee  gives  the  following  experience  in  a  letter  to  the 
Southern  Live  Stock  Journal,  September,  1886: 

This  has  proved  the  worst  season  for  its  propagation  that  I  have  yet  met  with.  I 
have  this  week  examined  over  200  acres  of  my  last  spring's  sowing,  where  I  sowed 

20265— No.  3 1 


50 

one-half  bushel  of  seed  per  acre,  and  I  find  iLe  most  spotted  stand  I  ever  saw,  and  of 
the  whole  21M  acres  I  will  get  a  crop  of  hay  on  not  to  exceed  50  acres.  My  first  sow- 
ing of  about  80  aires  was  commenced  about  March  ^'J.  and  finished  about  the  1st  of 
April.  This  was  coining  up  thickly  when  the  freeze  of  the  9th  of  April  came,  and  I 
am  convinced  that  all  seeds  then  sprouting  were  frozen  out  and  killed.  The  sowings 
during  April  did  better,  but  auythiug  like  a  reasonable  stand  is  found  only  on  moist 
places.  The  reason  for  this  is  the  fact  that  not  a  drop  of  rain  fell  from  April 
"26  to  June  G.  My  worst  catch  was  on  comparatively  clean  land,  an  oat  field,  in  which 
the  oats  had  been  mostly  killed  by  the  winter.  My  best  catch  was  on  a  grass  st>d.*  I 
found  that  a  freeze  or  a  drought  catching  the  plants  before  the  roots  have  penetrated 
the  soil  are  equally  disastrous.  On  some  meadows  of  previous  sowings,  I  am  now 
cutting  a  heavy  crop  of  almost  pure  Lespedeza.  The  reverses  of  this  year  will  not 
loosen  the  hold  of  the  grass  on  my  estimation  in  the  least. 

Cactus,  Opuntia  Englemanni,  and  others. 

A  number  of  species  of  Cactus,  mainly  of  the  genus  Opuntia,  and 
commonly  called  Xopal  or  Prickly  Pear,  are  used  as  food  for  cattle 
and  sheep  in  the  dry  regions  of  Texas  and  westward,  where  the  ordi- 
nary forage  plants  fail.  In  the  natural  state  cattle  do  not  often  touch 
it,  unless  driven  by  hunger,  except  while  the  new  growth  is  young 
and  tender.  Sheep  eat  it  without  preparation  more  readily  than  cattle, 
and  for  them  the  plants  are  sometimes  merely  cut  down  so  as  to  be 
within  reach.  More  often  the  herder  passes  along  and  clips  oft 
a  portion  of  each  flat  joint,  so  that  the  sheep  can  enter  their  noses 
without  coming  in  contact  with  the  spines.  For  cattle,  it  is  customary 
to  singe  off  the  spines  over  a  brisk  blaze. 

Considering  the  extent  to  which  these  plants  are  eaten  by  stock,  even 
in  their  natural  state,  it  is  remarkable  that  so  few  evil  effects  have  been 
observed.  A  large  majority  of  those  who  mention  their  use  state  that 
no  injurious  results  have  come  to  their  notice. 

A  sufficient  number  of  instances  of  injury  are  reported,  however,  to 
show  that  compelling  stock  to  eat  them  unprepared  is  cruel,  if  not  un- 
profitable and  to  render  it  probable  that  the  suffering  and  loss  on  this 
account  have  not  been  fully  observed.  A  number  of  instances  are  re- 
ported of  cattle  having  died  from  the  accumulation  of  the  spines  in  the 
mouth  and  stomach.  The  jaws  and  neck  sometimes  become  swollen 
and  inflamed  from  the  presence  of  the  spines.  The  tongue  has  been 
known  to  become  so  tilled  with  them  as  to  be  rendered  unlit  for  food. 
How  this  amount  of  injury  can  occur  and  not  affect  the  growth  of  the 
animal  it  is  difficult  to  see.  The  injury  to  sheep  is  mostly  confined  to 
the  nose  and  lips,  and  is  not  considered  very  serious.  -k  as  the  needles 
soon  fester  and  come  out." 

The  succulent  nature  of  the  plant  in  the  growing  season  sometimes 
has  too  great  a  laxative  effect,  but  if  other  fodder  is  fed  with  it  this 
tendency  is  rather  beneficial  than  otherwise.  Notwithstanding  these 
difficulties,  however,  the  Cactus,  when  properly  prepared,  is  a  valuable 
fodder  plant,  and  is  destined  to  come  into  more  general  use  in  the  warm 
arid  parts  of  the  country. 


J.  A.  Avent,  sr.,  Bexar  County,  Southern  Texas: 

[  have  been  feeding  Prickly  Pear  for  thirty  years.     It  Is  an  excellent  feed  for  cattle, 

If  fed  with  fodder  or  hay  of  any  kind  ;  when  not  too  full  of  sap  it  may  be  fed  alone. 
If  cut  in  January  it  can  be  fed  until  March  20,  but  if  left  standing  it.  is  not  good  fei  d 
after  the  20th  of  February.  Then'  is  nothing  that  cattle  like  better  than  Prickly 
Pear,  when  accustomed  to  it.  We  Iced  it  only  in  dry  years  when  .mass  is  scarce.  We 
begin  feeding  about  the  first  of  November  and  continue  until  the  20th  of  February. 
The  old  stumps,  with  a  little  corn,  will  fatten  cattle  very  fast.  We  burn  off  the 
thorns  in  feeding  it,  but  most  stock  raisers  do  not.  The  apples  ripen  about  the  first 
of  July,  and  are  eaten  by  almost  everything.  Hogs  get  fat  enough  upon  them  to  ren- 
der into  lard,  when  the  crop  is  good,  and  it  seldom  fails. 

A.  J.  Spencer,  Uvalde,  Tex.  : 

It  is  eaten  by  cattle,  sheep,  goats,  and  hogs.  They  eat  it  mainly  as  found  on  the 
range,  though  sometimes  the  thorns  are  scorched  off.  It  is  considered  one  of  the  best 
native  forage  plants,  especially  to  carry  these  stock  through  the  long  droughts  that 
occur  occasionally  in  Western  Texas.  It  is  a  partial  substitute  for  water  for  all  stock 
that  eat  it.  The  only  injury  I  have  known  to  result  from  eating  it  has  been  to  sheep, 
and  then  only  when  eaten  while  frozen. 

S.  S.  Jamison,  Burnet,  Tex. : 

It  is  used  extensively  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  State,  especially  by  Mexicans, 
for  wintering  work-oxen,  cows,  and  other  cattle  upon.  The  thorns  are  scorched  oft 
before  feeding,  and  no  harm  results  from  its  use,  unless  it  be  too  great  a  laxness  at 
times.  Only  one  kind  is  used  as  far  as  I  know,  but  it  varies  in  height  in  different 
localities.  In  this  country  it  grows  from  6  inches  to  2  feet  high.  Farther  south  it 
grows  taller.  In  Mataruoras,  Mexico,  I  have  seeu  the  "  Nopal"  as  tall  as  the  post-oak 
timber,  and  having  large  round  trunks  like  any  other  tree. 

Prof.  George  W.  Curtis,  College  Station,  Tex.: 

It  is  used  quite  extensively  for  cattle  and  sheep.  The  prickles  are  singed  off,  or 
the  whole  plant  is  boiled  and  fed  mixed  with  bran.  Only  the  Opuntia  vulgaris,  and 
perhaps  a  variety  of  the  same,  are  used,  so  far  as  I  know.  I  have  no  positive  knowl- 
edge of  any  injury  to  stock  from  feeding  upon  it.  but  from  its  purgative  nature  I 
should  be  afraid  that  it  might  cause  abortion  in  preguaut  cows. 

Has  your  attention  been  called  to  the  use  of  the  Prickly  Pear  Cactus  as  a  lubricant  ? 
Certain  of  the  Western  railroads  have  used  it  with  excellent  results.  It  is  gathered 
in  Texas,  shipped  to  Saint  Louis,  ground  up  coarsely,  and  pine  tar  added  to  keep  the 
albuminoids  from  decomposition  (I  do  not  know  whether  anything  else  is  added  or 
not),  after  which  it  is  barreled  and  returned.  The  total  cost  is  2£  cents  per  pound, 
and  it  is  said  to  do  the  work  of  fi  or  8  cents'  worth  of  grease  and  rags  formerly  used.  It 
is  especially  useful  in  preventing  and  cooling  hot  boxes.  If  this  comes  into  general 
use  it  will  open  a  new  field  of  production. 

Leonard  A.  Heil,  San  Antonio,  Tex. : 

The  Cactus  or  Prickly  Pear  grows  abundantly  in  nearly  every  section  of  Southwest 
Texas,  often  reaching  a  height  of  10  or  12  feet.  Ever  since  the  settlement  of  the 
country  by  the  English,  and  probably  years  before,  it  has  been  used  to  supplement 
grass  in  times  of  drought,  but  now  it  is  being  used  with  other  feeds  at  all  times,  and 
especially  in  the  winter.  Sheep  do  well  upon  it  without  water,  there  being  sufficient 
moisture  in  the  leaves.  The  herder  goes  along  with  a  short  sword  and  clips  the 
points  of  the  great  leaves  so  that  the  sheep  can  insert  its  nose,  when  it  readily  eats 
them  entire. 

Dr.  A.  E.  Carothers,  an  extensive  ranchman  of  Cotulla,  La  Salle  County,  began  feed- 
ing Prickly  Pear  and  cotton-seed  meal  to  400  head  of  steers  for  the  purpose  of  fatten- 
in*:  for  the  market,  and  at  the  last  account  was  highly  pleased  with  the  result  and 


I 


52 

confident  of  financial  success.  He  singes  off  the  thorns  with  a  flame,  and  cuts  up  the 
pear  and  feeds  it  mixed  in  troughs  with  the  cotton-seed  meal  in  the  proportion  of 
about  5  pounds  of  meal  to  70  pounds  of  pear.  The  steers  cat  this  food  with  great 
relish,  and  take  the  food  rapidly.  They  have  about  a  2,500-acre  field  to  run  in.  If 
this  method  of  feeding  proves  a  success,  it  may  work  quite  a  revolution  in  this  sec- 
tion, as  thousands  of  tons  of  cotton  seed  are  exported  anuually  to  England,  and  the 
supply  of  the  pear  is  simply  inexhaustible.  The  feeding  of  the  pear  need  in  no  way 
diminish  the  supply,  as,  whenever  a  piece  of  leaf  is  left  on  the  ground,  it  takes  root 
and  makes  another  plant,  growing  rapidly.  Corn  is  always  high,  and  can  never  be 
transported  here  for  stock  feed,  and  the  stock  shipped  back  again,  over  the  same  road, 
with  a  eertainty  of  profit.  The  utilizing  of  Prickly  Pear  and  cotton-seed  meal  will 
make  beef  raising,  as  well  as  breeding,  profitable  in  this  portion  of  the  country,  and 
make  the  ranchmen  entirely  independent  of  all  other  sections. 

Dr.  Carothers,  above  mentioned,  writes,  March,  1887 : 

In  pursuance  of  a  correspondence  had  with  your  Department  last  summer,  begun 
by  Mr.  A.  J.  Dull,  of  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  who  has  cattle  interests  in  this  State,  I  have 
fed  400  beeves,  and  am  now  feeding  800  more  on  this  food.  From  the  analysis  fur- 
nished by  Mr.  Richardson,  of  your  Department,  I  found  that  the  Cactus  was  deficient 
in  albuminoids,  and  from  the  well-known  richness  of  the  cotton-seed  oil  cakes  in 
these  elements,  I  selected  it  to  supply  the  deficiency,  which  it  did  very  well.  At  first 
I  burned  the  thorns  off  the  Cactus,  then  cut  it  up  by  a  machine  which  I  devised,  and 
spread  it  in  large  troughs,  scattering  the  cotton-seed  meal  over  it  when  the  cattle  ate 
it  with  great  avidity.  I  soon  found,  however,  that  the  burning  was  injurious,  as  it 
was  impossible  to  conduct  it  without  cooking  the  Cactus  to  a  greater  or  less  extent, 
which  caused  purging  in  the  animals.  To  remedy  this,  i.  e.,  to  destroy  the  thorns 
without  scorching,  I  took  advantage  of  the  botanical  fact  that  the  thorns  of  Opuntia 
Englemanni,  the  only  one  1  use,  are  set  at  an  angle  of  about  60°  backward  to  the 
plane  of  the  leaf,  and  that  a  cut  of  half  inch  in  width  would  strike  every  one  of  them. 
I  therefore  set  the  knives  of  my  machine  to  a  half-inch  cut,  and  find  that  when  cut  in 
this  manner  cattle  eat  it  fully  as  well  as  when  scorched,  with  none  of  the  unpleasant 
results  referred  to.  I  feed  per  head  about  60  pounds  of  the  Cactus,  and  an  average 
of  about  6"  pounds  of  the  meal  per  day  for  ninety  days.  A  train  load  of  330  head 
of  these  cattle  sold  last  week  in  Chicago  at  4|  cents.  The  meat  is  singularly  juicy 
and  tender,  the  fat  well  distributed  among  the  muscles.  I  have  sold  it  at  1  cent  per 
pound  gross  over  grass  cattle  in  San  Antonio. 

John  C.  Chesley,  Hamilton,  Hamilton  County,  Central  Texas : 

The  Prickly  Pear  is  used  here  to  a  great  extent.  We  have  a  ranch  in  Stephens 
County  where  we  are  now  feeding  the  pear  to  over  a  hundred  of  our  poorest  cattle,  and 
they  are  doing  well  on  it.  It  is  fed  at  nearly  all  of  the  ranches  of  Stephens  County, 
where  they  are  feeding  at  all,  and  there  are  thousands  of  cattle  being  fed  this  winter 
on  Prickly  Pear  that  are  doing  well  and  will  come  to  grass  in  good  shape  that  other- 
wise would  have  died,  or  at  least  the  larger  part  of  them. 

The  pear  should  be  cut  and  hauled  to  the  feed-lots  while  the  sap  is  in  the  roots,  or 
before  the  warm  days  come,  for  if  it  is  fed  when  the  sap  is  in  the  tops  it  is  liable  to 
cause  laxness  and  weaken  the  animals.  We  prepare  it  for  feeding  by  holding  for  a 
moment  over  a  blaze.  I  believe  that  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State  they  have  a 
burner  with  which  they  burn  off  the  prickles,  without  cutting  the  plants  from  the 
ground,  aud  then  let  the  cattle  eat  them  as  they  please,  but  we  prefer  to  cut  and  feed 
as  above  stated.  One  good  man  can  prepare  the  Cactus  and  feed  about  100  head  of 
cattle  in  this  way.  A  poor  or  half-starved  animal  should  be  fed  only  a  small  quantity 
at  first,  which  may  be  gradually  increased  until  the  animal  is  allowed  to  eat  all  it 
wants.  When  fed  in  this  manner  to  range  cattle,  we  have  never  known  any  injurious 
results.  But  if  it  is  fed  to  steers,  and  they  are  worked  immediately  afterwards,  even 
if  the  feed  is  small,  and  they  are  accustomed  to  it,  they  are  liable  to  swell  up.     We 


Plate  XVI. 


TfcKSft  Ik 


ii^^:; 


RlCHARDSONlA    SCABRA. 


53 

have  had  them  do  so  when  we  thought  there  was  danger  of  its  proving  fatal.     They 

can  be  given  a  feed  at  night,  however,  and  then  worked  the  following  morning  with- 
out danger  of  any  injurious  results. 

H.  J.  Hunter,  M.  I).,  Palestine,  Tex.  : 

West  of  the  Colorado  River  in  this  State  the  Cactus  grows  in  vast  forests.  I  have 
seen  cattle  and  sheep  feed  ou  it  as  it  grows  wild.  Stockmen  cut  it  on  the  ground, 
singe  off  the  prickles,  and  cut  in  small  bits  for  their  stock. 

Mr.  Alonzo  Millett,  of  Kansas  City,  Mo. : 

I  confine  the  treatment  of  my  stock  in  La  Salle  County,  Texas,  for  their  first  six 
weeks  or  two  months  in  that  locality,  almost  exclusively  to  the  feeding  of  Prickly 
Pear,  which  simple  measure  has  proved  highly  successful,  and  is  worthy  of  more  gen- 
eral trial  as  a  preventive  of  Texas  fever.  There  is  a  Cactus  called  by  the  Mexicans 
Xopal  de  Castilliano,  which  is  cultivated  in  this  State  for  its  fruit.  This  plant  grows 
very  large  and  yields  enormous  crops  of  fruit,  which  is  sold  on  the  street  for  food  and 
to  make  beer.  The  young  growth  of  the  Cactus  is  used  in  early  spring  by  the  Mexi- 
cans of  Western  Texas  as  food.  It  is  cut  in  small  pieces,  mixed  with  flour  in  a  batter 
and  fried.     It  is  said  to  be  as  palatable  as  egg-plant. 

Edward  Beaumont,  Jemes,  N  Mex. : 

The  Cactus  is  not  used  here  to  any  great  extent,  but  it  makes  good  food  for  horned 
stock,  especially  cows.  The  thorns  are  scorched  off  over  a  blaze  of  brush  or  straw. 
When  cattle  get  used  to  eating  it  they  come  running  as  soon  as  they  see  a  smoke. 

Otanes  F.  Wright,  Temescal,  San  Bernardino  County,  California : 

Many  kinds  of  Cactus  grow  here.  The  flat  kind,  or  Prickly  Pear,  is  abundant  in 
places.  Cattle,  goats,  and  sheep  eat  it  sometimes  without  any  preparation  when 
very  hungry,  but  it  looks  as  though  needles  and  pi  us  would  be  a  pleasanter  and  safer 
diet.  I  have  never  known,  however,  any  bad  results  to  come  from  eating  it.  After 
boiling  to  soften  the  thorns  it  makes  good  food  for  milch  cows,  and  is  much  relished. 
The  trouble  of  boiling  prevents  its  extensive  use. 

Mexican  Clover,  Richardsonia  sccibra,  PL  XVI. 

Spanish  Clover,  Florida  Clover,  Water  Parsley,  Bellfountain,  Poor 
Toe,  Pigeon  Weed,  &c. 

This  is  an  annual  plant,  of  the  family  Rubiacese,  which  contains  the 
coffee,  ( inchona,  and  madder.  It  is  therefore  not  a  true  clover,  that 
name  having  perhaps  been  given  from  the  general  appearance  of  the 
plant  and  the  fact  that  the  flowers  are  mostly  borne  in  terminal  heads. 
The  stem  is  spreading,  branching,  and  somewhat  hairy,  and  the  leaves, 
unlike  the  clovers,  are  composed  of  a  single  piece.  The  plant  is  a  native 
of  Mexico  and  South  America,  which  has  become  naturalized  in  the 
United  States,  especially  along  the  Gulf  coast,  where  its  chief  value 
seems  to  be  as  a  renovator  of  poor  sandy  soils.  In  more  dry  exposed 
regions  it  seems'  to  require  rich  cultivated  soils  in  order  to  do  well.  It 
has  been  but  little  cultivated,  and  it  is  not  known  how  far  north  it  may 
be  grown  successfully,  but  it  would  probably  have  little  value  where 
clover  can  be  readily  grown.  The  statements  in  regard  to  its  value  for 
pasture  and  hay  are  very  conflicting.  It  is  usually  quite  succulent,  and 
not  readily  cured  in  the  climate  where  it  is  most  largely  grown.  As  it 
grows  chiefly  in  cultivated  grounds,  it  is  often  looked  upon  only  as  a 
weed. 


54 

B.  E.  Van  Buren,  Lake  Side,  Fla. : 

I  have  disseminated  the  Spanish  clover  all  over  my  place,  as  I  consider  it  a  valuable 
plant  for  improving  the  land.  It  is  also  a  very  good  forage  plant,  and  will  grow  on 
the  poorest  soil  without  manure. 

J.  C.  Neal,  M.  D.,  Archer,  Fla.: 

Grows  rapidly,  seeds  itself,  and  makes  a  fair  looking  lawn  or  field,  but  I  have  not 
found  a  cow  or  horse  that  would  touch  it  green  or  dry. 

J.  G.  Knapp,  Hillsborough  County,  Southern  Florida: 

FouLd  in  moist  lields  in  this  county  and  considered  a  valueless  weed.  It  is  not  eaten 
green  by  either  cattle  or  horses,  and  grows  llat  on  the  ground,  so  that  it  cannot  be  cut 
for  hay.  On  account  of  the  large  number  of  seeds  it  perfects,  it  is  difficult  to  eradi- 
cate. It  is  spoken  of  in  some  sections  as  a  fertilizing  plant.  In  my  opinion  it  has  no 
other  value,  and  I  estimate  it  low  for  that  purpose. 

B.  0.  Smith,  Cold  Water,  Ga.: 

Thrives  onlv  on  highly  fertilized  soils,  in  the  best  of  tilth,  where  it  gives  a  large 
yield.  Mexican  clover,  being  very  similar  to  purslane,  is  very  hard  to  cure,  and  is 
not  well  relished  by  cattle  or  horses. 

C.  Menelas,  Savannah,  Ga.: 

I  have  seen  it  only  on  the  Gulf  coast,  where  it  flourishes  luxuriantly  without  culti- 
vation, and  is  dreaded  by  nearly  every  one  as  a  weed.  Stock  appear  to  be  very  fond 
of  it,  and  the  yield  per  acre  must  be  very  heavy. 

Dr.  Charles  Mohr,  Mobile,  Ala. : 

Introduced  from  the  neighboring  tropics  and  perfectly  naturalized.  It  is  never 
cultivated,  but  takes  possession  of  the  fields,  and  arrives  at  the  period  of  its  fullest 
growth  after  the  crops  of  vegetables,  Irish  potatoes,  corn,  and  oats  are  laid  by  or  have 
been  removed,  yielding  spontaneous  crops  of  hay.  ami  affording  fully  two  cuttings 
during  the  season  of  from  1  to  2  tons  of  hay  per  acre,  according  to  the  fertility  of 
the  field. 

In  LS74  the  same  gentleman  sent  a  sample  of  hay  of  this  plant  to  the  Department, 
which  was  found  to  be  nearly  as  rich  in  food  elements  as  clover  hay.  In  his  letter 
he  then  said  :  "  It  forms  a  large  and  important  part  of  the  pine-woods  pasture  on  this 
part  of  the  Gulf  coast.  Hundreds  of  tons  have  been  stored  up  this  season  in  this 
county.  It  is  much  relished  by  horses  and  mules,  which  seem  to  thrive  well  upon  it, 
and  sheep  feed  upon  it  with  great  avidity.  The  plant  is  known  here  by  the  name  of 
'•  Mexican  Clover,"  "  Poor  Toes,"  or  "Pigeon  Weed."  Seventeen  years  ago  it  was  bur 
sparse,  now  it  occurs  iu  all  our  cultivated  grounds,  covering  them  with  a  luxuriant 
vegetation  after  the  crops  of  the  summer  have  been  removed. 

Thomas  J.  Key,  editor  Southern  Agriculturist,  Montgomery,  Ala. : 

It  grows  luxuriantly  on  cultivated  sandy  lands  iu  the  southern  part  of  the  State, 
makes  excellent  hay,  and  matures  after  corn  has  been  laid  by. 

James  B.  Siger,  Handsborough,  Southern  Mississippi : 

Of  late  years  Mexican  clover  lias  been  introduced  and  grown  among  the  crab-grass. 
It  is  spreading  rapidly.  Its  habits  and  manner  of  cultivation  are"  the  same  as  crab- 
grass.     Cattle  will  pick  it  out  from  any  other  hay  and  eat  it  in  preference  to  any. 

Edward  0.  Reid,  Meridian,  Miss. : 

It  is  hardy,  and  grows  on  the  poorest  sandy  land  from  the  coast  up  to  the  Cretaceous 
formation.  It  stands  drought  and  is  hard  to  exterminate.  It  comes  up  after  corn  is 
laid  by,  and  on  cotton  land  covers  the  cotton.  It  is  not  especially  valuable  as  a  past- 
ure plant,  as  it  comes  up  late  and  pasturing  kills  it  out.  In  cultivated  lands  it  re- 
seeds  itself  and  conies  vear  after  year. 


Clarke  Lewis,  Oliftonville,  Noxubee  County,  Mississippi : 
It  grows  in  The  Gulf  States  on  sandy  land  and  furnishes  abundant    forage  of  fair 
quality  on  poor  soil.     There  is  none  in  this  section. 

W.  H.  Nevill,  Biimsville,  Miss.: 

Doeu  well  in  the  southern  half  of  the  Gulf  States. 

J.  H.  Mardock,  Bryan,  Brazos  County,  Central  Texas: 

It  is  grown  here,  and  stands  drought  very  well  on  our  light  sandy  soils,  and  makes 
good  pasture  in  its  season. 

Mr.  Matt.  Coleman,  Leesburg,  Sumter  County,  Florida,  in  1878,  wrote 
to  the  Department : 

The  tradition  is,  that  when  the  Spanish  evacuated   Pensacola   this  plant  was  dis. 

covered  there  by  the  cavalry  horses  feeding  upon  it  eagerly.  Five  years  ago  I  pro- 
cured some  of  the  seed,  and  have  since  grown  it  in  my  orange  groves  as  a  forage  plant 
aud  fertilizer.  It  grows  on  thin  pine  land  4  to  6  feet  in  length,  branching  and  form- 
ing a  thick  mat,  which  affords  all  the  mulch  my  trees  require.  It  requires  two  days 
sun  to  dry  it,  and  its  sweet  hay  is  relished  by  horses  and  cattle.  The  white  bloom 
opeus  in  the  morning  and  closes  at  evening,  and  is  visited  by  bees  and  butterflies. 

WASHING    OF    THE    SOIL. 

The  question  was  asked  in  the  circular  whether  washing  of  the  soil 
was  troublesome  in  the  various  localities,  aud  if  so,  what  remedies  had 
been  applied. 

The  replies  show  that  throughout  the  larger  portion  of  all  the  Southern 
States,  except  Florida  and  Louisiana,  and  in  parts  of  those  States. 
washing  of  the  soil  is  one  of  the  greatest  hindrances  to  successful  agri- 
culture. 

Almost  no  remedies  have  been  attempted  in  the  past,  except  throw- 
ing brush  in  the  washes  and  turning  out  the  land  to  common  when  it 
has  so  far  lost  its  soil  and  become  filled  with  gullies  as  to  be  no  longer 
profitable  for  cultivation.  Recently,  however,  terracing  and  hillside 
ditching,  especially  the  former,  are  being  practiced  by  many  of  the  best 
farmers.  The  terraces  are  recommended  to  be  made  on  a  perfect  level, 
at  every  fall  of  about  3  feet,  mostly  by  means  of  a  plow,  throwing  the 
earth  down  hill.  When  finished  the  terrace  is  level,  and  varies  in  width 
at  different  points  according  to  the  slope  of  the  laud. 

The  edge  of  the  terrace  is  sometimes  set  in  Bermuda  or  some  other 
grass,  but  often  allowed  to  grow  up  to  weeds.  Sometimes  only  slight 
or  rough  terraces  are  made,  and  their  position  changed  from  year  to 
year.  Sometimes  strips  of  grass  are  left  at  suitable  intervals,  running 
across  the  hill,  to  serve  the  purpose  of  a  terrace.  Whether  terraces  are 
made  or  not,  it  is  recommended  to  run  the  rows  crosswise  of  the  hills 
or  circular,  so  as  to  be  at  all  points  nearly  at  the  same  level.  Some- 
times, instead  of  terraces,  ditches  are  made  across  the  face  of  the  hill 
at  a  slight  fall,  about  1  inch  to  every  10  feet.  The  ditch  should  have 
broad  bottoms  and  as  few  sharp  curves  as  possible,  and  should  be  kept 
well  sodded. 


56 

The  most  important  fact  in  this  connection,  and  one  recognized  by 
some  of  the  correspondents,  is  that  the  cause  of  washing  is  mainly 
owing  to  cultivating  the  land  too  long  before  seeding  down  to  grass. 
Hilly  land  washes  most,  not  merely  because  it  is  hilly,  but  also  because 
it  generally  contains  less  vegetable  matter.  Land  containing  much  veg- 
etable matter  is  porous,  especially  if  plowed  deeply,  and  allows  the  rains 
to  sink  into  it,  and  not  accumulate  on  the  surface  and  form  rills  to  start 
washing. 

If  the  tendency  of  rolling  lauds  to  wash,  after  being  in  cultivation  a 
few  years,  shall  induce  deeper  cultivation  and  the  frequent  laying  down 
the  land  to  grass,  it  may  not  prove  an  unmixed  evil. 

NEEDS    OF    DIFFERENT    LOCALITIES. 

Wesley  Webb,  publisher  Delaware  Farm  and  Home,  Dover,  Del. : 

In  New  Castle  County,  Delaware,  and  Cecil  County,  Maryland,  Timothy  and  Clover 
(with  rye  for  winter  feeding)  answer  every  purpose  for  hay  and  pasturage.  As  a 
nitrogenous  forage  plant,  we  do  not  think  anything  better  than  Alfalfa  can  be  found. 
We  need,  however,  something  that  will  take  the  place  of  Timothy  in  all  the  peninsula 
below  Kent  County,  Maryland,  and  Central  Kent  in  Delaware.  The  soil  below  Dover 
is  too  light  for  grazing,  and  but  little  live  stock  is  kept  in  comparison  to  what  might 
be  kept  if  the  soiling  system  were  more  generally  practiced,  as  it  is  to  a  limited  ox- 
tent  and  very  successfully.  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  some  of  the  varieties  ot  Sorghum 
vulgare  may  be  grown  for  soiling  and  ensilage  with  fair  hopes  of  success. 

L.  W.  Gentry,  Anderson  County,  South  Carolina: 

We  are  in  great  need  of  good  permanent  pastures,  and  also  of  something  better 
from  which  to  make  hay  for  winter  use.  Bermuda  and  Johnson  Grasses  might  be 
valuable  if  we  could  raise  them,  and  especially  if  we  could  learn  how  to  control 
them. 

By  act  of  the  legislature,  and  by  our  own  vote.  South  Carolina  is  now  fencing  her 
stock  instead  of  her  crops,  and  bare  pastures  are  common  all  over  the  State  and  we 
are  obliged  to  supplement  them  with  some  kind  of  forage  plants,  but  we  prefer  this 
to  fencing  the  crops.  We  grow  mostly  for  this  purpose  Cat-tail  Millet,  Egyptian  Rice 
Corn,  Millo  Maize,  and  forage  Corn  (Indian). 

B.  C.  Smith,  Cold  Water,  Elbert  County,  Georgia: 

Our  greatest  need  is  green  pasture  for  the  early  spring  season.  Our  shallow  gray 
soil,  on  close  red-clay  foundation,  often  impacted  with  flint  or  other  stones,  does  not 
admit  of  deep  cultivation.  Shallow  plowing  favors  washing,  and  by  the  time  that 
we  get  the  original  forest  land  iu  good  condition  for  cultivation  the  soil  is  mostly 
gone,  and  we  have  barren  and  gullied  red-clay  hillsides,  while  the  beds  of  the  creeks 
have  become  partly  tilled  with  sand,  thus  rendering  the  lowlands  too  wet.  It  is  not 
practicable  to  fertilize  our  soil  by  green  crops  grown  upon  the  land.  Any  land  which 
will  grow  its  own  fertilizer  will  make  cotton,  and  cannot  be  spared.  The  forests  were 
mostly  cleared  in  tihe  days  of  slavery,  and  by  injudicious  culture  the  soil  is  mainly 
gone.  The  only  redemption  consists  in  letting  the  worn  lands  grow  up  in  common 
jnneand  lie  idle  twenty-five  to  fifty  years.  To  ditch,  terrace,  fertilize,  and  improve  a 
farm  generally  would  require  all  of  a  farmer's  time  and  labor,  without  cultivating 
any  crop.  Therefore  the  land  is  being  exhausted  and  going  to  waste,  and  wealth  is 
decreasing  every  hour.  With  the  present  and  prospective  population  people  do  not 
consider  that  they  can  spare  an  acre  of  fertile  land  for  grass.  In  former  times,  thirty 
to  fifty  years  ago,  when  rain  in  summer  was  more  common,  the  "Broom  Sedge  "  was 


57 

our  best  grass  for  spring  grazing,  bat  since  drought  and  Japanese  Clover  have  become 
eotuiuou,  we  have  very  little  "  Sedge."  It  did  not  grow  until  frosts  were  over;  we 
need  an  earlier  variety.  Rye  is  about  all  we  have  for  early  grazing.  Kentucky  Blue 
Grass  grows  at  the  proper  season,  but  the  laud  will  not  produce  it  freely  euough  to 
make  it  valuable.  It  grows  finely  in  a  garden  or  where  an  old  barn  and  stack  lot  has 
stood  for  a  long  time.  Common  Red  Clover  does  well  in  similar  lands,  but  such  lauds 
cannot  be  afforded  for  such  purposes;  in  fact,  if  all  the  valuable  land  in  the  two 
counties  was  in  grass,  the  supply  would  not  meet  the  demand,  and  the  grain  crops 
would  be  ruled  out,  which  would  be  a  worse  calamity  than  the  absence  of  grass. 
During  the  summer  months  our  common  "  Crab  Grass  "  is  the  best  we  have  for  pasture. 
It  grows  on  wheat  stubble-fields  if  we  have  plenty  of  rain. 

It  will  require  the  greatest  practicable  diversity  of  crops,  with  all  the  skill  and 
labor  available,  to  save  this  portion  of  the  country  from  ruin. 

William  W.  Bailey,  Hawthorne,  Northern  Florida : 

The  greatest  demand  for  Florida  is  a  winter  grass  to  keep  the  stock  from  suffering 
in  November,  December,  January,  and  February.  The  Johnston,  Para,  and  Bermuda 
Grasses  solve  the  problem  for  summer  grasses,  but,  practically  speaking,  they  stop 
growing  with  the  first  frost.  Can't  you  think  of  some  grass  suiting  light  sandy  soils, 
whieh  will  send  its  root  deep  into  the  ground  for  its  support,  aud  not  be  easily  dam- 
aged by  frosts  ?  Rye  has  been  our  only  dependence  so  far  for  winter  pasture,  but  it 
must  be  sown  every  year. 

R.  L.  Jackson,  Saint  Maurice,  Winn  Parish,  Louisiana : 

We.  in  this  county,  have  paid  no  attention  to  the  grasses,  and  but  little  to  the 
rearing  of  stock.  A  little  corn  aud  oats  upon  which  to  feed  our  mules  while  cultivat- 
ing "king  cotton"  is  all  we  have  wanted;  but  we  are  retrograding,  aud  I  hope 
through  your  efforts  a  better  system  of  agriculture  and  a  brighter  future  is  dawning 
for  the  Southern  farmer. 

J.  U.  Russe,  Duffan  Wells,  Erath  County,  Northern  Texas : 

In  this  locality  it  is  very  droughty  at  least  half  of  the  time,  and  it  has  not  been 
considered  a  farming  country  until  within  the  last  seveu  or  eight  years.  Farming 
thus  far  has  only  been  on  a  small  scale,  but  have  enlarged  as  the  cattle  have  been  driven 
out.  The  range  is  a  thing  of  the  past  here  now,  and  farmers  are  sadly  in  need  of 
grasses  for  their  stock.  As  yet  nothing  has  been  tried  except  Johnson  Grass,  and  that 
spreads  so  rapidly  and  is  so  difficult  to  subdue  that  farmers  are  afraid  of  it. 

F.  P.  Margot,  Benton,  Saline  County,  Central  Arkansas : 

We  are  in  need  of  more  and  better  forage  plants,  so  as  to  have  pasture  during  the 
dry  and  hot  summer  months.  This  part  of  the  State  is  high  and  hilly  (except  along 
the  rivers).  Most  of  the  upland  is  gravelly,  sand  and  clay  mixed,  with  a  red-clay 
subsoil  at  a  depth  of  from  1  to  4  feet.  The  common  Red  Clover  seems  to  grow  all 
right  until  the  dry  spell  sets  in,  but  has  not  proved  with  me  to  be  a  reasonable  suc- 
cess. 

C.  H.  Walker,  Surprise,  Butler  County,  Eastern  Xebraska : 

I  desire  to  say  that  in  regard  to  the  tame  grasses,  it  appears  to  me  that  your  De- 
partment might  be  of  great  service  to  the  West.  I  can  speak  assuredly  of  Nebraska. 
A  residence  of  nearly  thirty  years  in  that  State,  and  a  careful  observation  during  that 
time,  have  enabled  me  to  notice  remarkable  changes  of  opinion  that  have  taken  place. 
Until  within  a  recent  period  it  has  not  been  thought  that  the  tame  grasses  would 
flourish  here,  repeated  experiments  proving  failures ;  but  recently  success  has  been  the 
rule.  Our  experience,  however,  has  been  confined  principally  to  Red  Clover,  Timothy, 
and  Blue  Grass,  the  latter  not  meeting  with  the  favor  of  farmers.  There  are  other 
grasses  that  should  be  tested  here,  aud  I  venture  to  suggest  that  in  my  judgment  the 
Department  could  do  no  better  service  to  Nebraska  than  by  introducing  grass  seeds 
that  are  not  found  in  our  markets. 


58 
W.  A.  McKing,  Little  Stony,  Colusa  County,  Central  California: 

The  great  need  of  California,  and  of  my  section  especially,  is  a  grass  that  will  with- 
stand our  summer  drought  without  Irrigation.  Johnson  Grass  and  Milium  nadtiflorum 
[Lryzopris  multiJiora~\  promise  well,  hut  have  decided  faults.  There  is  a  period  every 
year  in  the  State,  when  the  fall  rains  have  rotted  the  dry  feed  and  Alfalfa  and  John- 
sou  Grasses  arc  dormant,  that  is  very  distressing.  A  grass  that  could  he  irrigated  in 
September,  and  he  from  the  first  of  October  to  the  lirst  of  April  what  Alfalfa  is  during 
the  rest  of  the  season,  would  be  of  great  benefit. 

\Y.  A.  Sanders,  Sanders,  Fresno  County,  California: 

If  any  oue  plant  will  furnish  what  we  get  from  Alfalfa  and  Bamboo — viz,  pasture 
and  feed  in  abundance  for  the  entire  year — that  plant  we  desire  to  lind.  But  it  must 
resist  drought  in  summer  and  frost  in  winter,  and  must  be  of  enormous  growth  on  a 
small  amount  of  moisture. 

I  send  specimens  of  two  native  weeds  of  far  more  value  for  forage,  and  also  for 
hay,  than  Allilaria ;  these  are  Eritrichium  Chorisiannm,  locally  known  as  "  White  Blos- 
som.*' and  AmsinoMa  xpectabilis,  called  ''  Yellow  Blossom,"  or  "  Fiddle-neck."  Both  are 
of  the  Borage  family,  are  of  enormous  growth,  are  highly  nutritious,  and  are  greedily 
eaten  by  all  kinds  of  stock. 

Allilaria  gets  most  of  the  credit  for  the  immense  amount  of  food  which  they  furnish. 
They  are  dirty -looking,  uninviting  weeds,  and  only  old  stockmen  know  their  value  ; 
but  with  such  as  have  raised  stock  here  for  a  number  of  decades  they  are  more  highly 
prized  than  any  other  native  plant. 

Allilaria  always  grows  among  them.     None  of  the  three  are  cultivated. 

W.  C.  Cusick,  Union,  Oreg. : 

Our  special  needs  in  the  way  of  forage  plants  for  the  region  east  of  the  Cascade 
Range,  are  grasses  or  clovers  that  will  mature  on  dry  soil,  with  our  limited  amount  of 
rainfall,  a  sufficient  amount  of  forage  to  be  profitable  for  mowing,  at  the  same  time 
being  hardy.  I  doubt  if  we  shall  find  anything  to  excel  some  of  our  native  grasses 
for  this  purpose. 


PLATES. 


I.  Paspaluru  dilatatum. 
II.  Panicum  maximum. 

III.  Panicum  sanguinale. 

IV.  Panicum  Texanum. 
V.  Sorgbum  balepense. 

VI.  Pbalaris  intermedia. 
VII.  Sporobolus  Indicus. 
VIII.  Holcus  lauatus. 


IX.  Arrbenatherium  avenaceum. 
X.  Cynodon  dactylon. 
XI.  Poa  aracbnifera. 
XII.  Bromus  unioloides. 

XIII.  Erodiuni  cicutarinm. 

XIV.  Medicago  sativa. 
XV.  Lespedeza  striata. 

XVI.  Ricbardsonia  scabra. 


(59) 


INDEX 


Page. 

Alabama  Guinea  grass 13 

Alfalfa 36 

Altilaria 34 

American  Canary  grass 20 

Amsinckia  spectabilis 5? 

Andropogon  scoparius 4(J 

Arabian  evergreen  millet 16 

Austin  grass 13 

Australian  millet 16 

oats 32 

prairie  grass . .  ^. 32 

Bellfountain 53 

Bermuda  grass 25 

Brazilian  clover 36 

Bromus  Scbraderi 32 

unioloides  32 

Willdenovii 32 

Broom-sedge 49 

Bur  clover 44 

Cactus 50 

Canary  grass,  American 20 

Ceratochloa  unioloides 32 

Chilian  clover 30 

Crab  grass 11 

Cynodon  dactylon 25 

Cuba  grass 16 

Desmodium  molle 46 

tortuosum 46 

Egyptian  grass 16 

Eritrichium  Chorisianum 58 

Erodium  cicutarium 34 

moschatum 36 

Euclaena  luxurians 14 

Evergreen  millet 16 

Festuca  unioloides 32 

Fiddle  neck 58 

Filaree 34 

Filaria 35 

Florida  clover 53 

French  clover 36 

Green  valley  grass 16 

Guinea  grass 9 

Hairy-flowered  paspalum 7 

Holcus  lanatus 22 

Japan  clover 47 

Johnson  grass 15 

Lespedeza  striata 47 

61 


62 

Page. 

Louisiana  grass 8 

Meadow  soft  grass 29 

Medicago  deuticulata 44 

inaculata 45 

saliva 36 

Medick 3Q 

Mesquit  grass 24 

Mexican  clover 53 

Milium  ruultiflorum 58 

Millet,  Texas 12 

Millo  maize J8 

Morocco  millet 16 

Needs  of  different  localities 56 

Nopal 50 

Oat  grass 24 

Oryzopsis  multiflora 58 

Opuntia  Englemanni 50 

Panicum  barbinode 6 

sanguinale 11 

Texanum 12 

Para  grass 6 

Paspalum  dilatatum 7 

jumentorum 9 

maximum 9 

ovatum 7 

plat  ycaule 8 

Phalaris  intermedia 20 

Pigeon  weed 53 

Pin  clover 34 

grass 34 

Poa  araclinifera 30 

Poor  toe 53 

Prickly  pear 50 

Ray  grass 24 

Reed  Canary  grass 20 

Rescue  grass .32 

Richardsonia  scabra 53 

Salem  grass 24 

Scrader's  brome  grass _ 32 

Smut  grass 21 

Sorghum  balepeuse 15 

vulgare 18 

Spanish  clover 53 

trefoil 36 

Sporobolus  Indicus 21 

Spotted  medick 45 

Storkbill 34 

Tall  meadow  oat  grass 24 

Tall  oat  grass '24 

Taller  oat  grass 24 

Teosinte 14 

Texas  blue  grass 30 

millet 12 

velvet  mesquit  grass , 24 

Velvet  grass 22 


63 

Page 

Velvet   lawn  grass 22 

mesqnit  grass ,  22 

Washing  of  the  poil 59 

Water  parsley •">:{ 

White  timothy 24 

Woolly  soft  grass 24 

Yellow  blossom 

Yorkshire  white  grass '. '24 

© 


ERSITY  OF  FLORIDA 


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